Home Energy Improvements – Hot Water and Energy Bills

Most people are surprised to find that the second largest energy draw within the home is the hot water heater. To take a piece out of the energy consumption pie, as a homeowner, you should start thinking about home energy improvements that relate to your home's hot water.
The most recognized steps of reducing hot water usage are washing laundry in cold water versus hot and taking showers instead of baths. While these are wonderful home energy reduction measures to take, the two steps alone will not provide as significant energy savings as you probably want to see. They will, however, teach your family to get into better water usage and conservation habits.
There are many small steps you can do to improve your home's energy efficiency and save money here and there, but if you want to make a bigger difference you should target the bigger pie pieces and look into solar thermal hot water. A solar thermal water heating system can improve your home's energy savings considerably – between 15% and 25%!

There are no drawbacks to solar thermal hot water. The money that you invest on an energy efficient solar thermal water heating system will definitely be returned in the long term, with an average return on investment occurring around 4-8 years. When you compare that to continual monthly payments made to a utility provider for the rest of your life, the thermal system home energy improvement is a no-brainer!
Another benefit to look forward to is the 30% federal tax credit you receive after installation. If up front cost is an issue, there are companies out there such as Net Zero USA that provide low interest financing on home energy improvements. You can also go to www.dsireusa.org to find out if your state offers any additional rebates or incentives for home energy improvements.
An additional advantage to solar thermal is the positive effect that it has on your existing hot water heater. A solar thermal water heating system can be installed with an entirely new water tank, or connected to an existing hot water heater that is relatively new. In response, the hot water heater will be working less because it is provided with continuous hot water from the solar thermal water heating system. This produces less strain on the water heater and its components, thereby increasing it's life-span. Click here to see a solar thermal water heating system being installed.
The final and possibly greatest benefit of a solar thermal water heating system is the increase in your home's resell value. If you wind up putting your home on the market you are sure to have a one-up on your competition because your home can now be marketed as "green friendly." In addition, you are reimbursed for the cost of the solar thermal system due to the increased sale price of the home.

As you can see, upgrading your home with a solar thermal water heating system is an extremely smart move that you should greatly consider when you look into home energy improvements. Net Zero USA proudly sells energy efficient home improvements designed to dramatically reduce home energy bills.
www.netzero-usa.com