The expert speaks first
IT’S A popular myth that switching off your geyser saves electricity, and it's even propagated by government—but it's completely false, and it's inexcusable that a reporter does not check their facts before claiming a cited obvious (but bogus) method of saving electricity.
The fact is that in a properly-insulated geyser, the heat energy is well contained, and the only possible source of loss is the tiny amount that escapes the insulation during the day.
While the geyser is on during the day and no water is consumed, a small amount of electricity is used to replace this heat loss—the thermostat typically switches on for two minutes once every two hours (measured on my own geyser), representing a daily extra consumption of around 50 Watts per month!
Anything you do to a geyser can only save a fraction of this amount—the rest is actual energy used to provide hot water actually consumed—and you cannot do anything about that.
The fact is that by switching off the geyser, water is allowed to cool further than usual. When you switch it on again, it takes as much energy to reheat the water to its original temperature than it takes to keep it at that temperature in the first place—it's called the law of conservation of energy, and is an inviolable law of nature.
What confuses the matter, is that a small saving is actually possible because the rate of heat loss falls as the water cools—this is, however, a second-order effect that (on a daily cycle) has almost no effect.
If you leave the house for a few days, then yes—switching off will help, because once the water reaches room temperature there can no longer be any energy loss.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من Personal Finance.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من Personal Finance.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
'Hack' your money psychology
Spending too much money? Tempted by sales? These money psychology hacks’ can help
Accounting tips for small businesses
It's important to properly manage your business finances
KIDS AND MONEY: FIVE WAYS TO START THE CONVERSATION
WHEN IT comes to teaching young children about the world, parents may feel that some topics—like politics and religion—are too tough to broach.
REDUCE THE PAIN OF DOWNSCALING
Investing in a holiday home as a retiree
THE RISKS INVOLVED IN INVESTING
Finding the balance between eating well and sleeping well
TESLA: WHY IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR MUSK TO GO
What 2023 holds for the electric vehicle company
FINDING SOMEONE TO STEP INTO YOUR SHOES
The Eskom crisis demonstrates again the importance of proper succession planning—loDSA
BORROWING MONEY ISN' ALWAYS A BAD THING
On the contrary, debt can be a sensible way to build wealth
WILL SOLAR POWER INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME?
The upfront investment is high, which you'll want to recover when you sell
WHERE NEXT FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY?
Why central banks face an epic battle against inflation in 2023