Appliance expert reveals the surprising upgrade that could transform your energy bills: 'These … can equal thousands of dollars in savings'

A new report breaks down one of the best ways to save money on your monthly electric bill in an unexpected way. 

The scoop

Michael Frank of Consumer Reports detailed the savings that could come from replacing your water heater, even if your current one isn't broken. He explains that thanks to new regulations and technological advances, even the upfront cost of replacing a water heater doesn't outweigh the benefits over the long term. This is because they burn energy more efficiently, meaning they're saving you money each month. 

"These reduced operating costs can equal thousands of dollars in savings," he said. 

How it's helping

One of the options Frank presents is heat pump water heaters, which pull ambient heat from houses to get water to the desired temperature. They are typically super efficient, using the least energy of all the options on the market. 

If you're looking at a change, check out the Cala smart heat pump water heater. This highly customizable option saves homeowners a ton of money on their energy bill thanks to the unique system. 

Cala water heaters heat your water at times when the energy needed to do so is the cheapest, meaning you're still getting your hot water when you need it but you're saving big money on how it's heated. Cala also figures out the times when you use hot water the most to make sure you always have it when you need it. 

On top of that, the Inflation Reduction Act will pay for 30% of the installation cost of a heat pump water heater, which can help to offset the price. While President Donald Trump wants to repeal the IRA, doing so would require an act of Congress, but acting sooner than later can help ensure you cash in on those savings. 

What everyone's saying

"No homeowner I've ever talked to cares about when [their water is] heated," Cala CEO Michael Rigney said in an interview with TCD. "You just care that the hot water is there, right? … All of the intelligence that we can bring to bear is valuable, because no one gets upset" to learn their appliance heated the water "three hours ago because that's when the electricity was cheapest or that's when the sun was shining."

When was the last time you flushed your water heater? I'm not sure 🤷 In the past 6 months 😎 In the past year 🙂 Longer than that 😬 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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