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Weatherization Assistance Program

Water Heaters

Photo of a worker installing a low-flow showerhead in a bathroom.

A weatherization service provider installs a low-flow showerhead, a device that reduces the consumption of domestic hot water and reduces energy bills, in a home being weatherized in northern Alabama.
Credit: Community Action and Community Development Agency of Northern Alabama

Almost two-thirds of homes weatherized receive some sort of improvement to their water heating systems. Most have insulation added to the water tank and pipes, and an even larger number receive low-flow showerheads. Reducing the flow of hot water through these low-flow devices is a very effective way to reduce unneeded consumption, and such devices are now commonplace.

For more information, see the following fact sheets about water heating published by DOE and written for energy service providers:

  • Water Heating: Energy-Efficient Strategies for Supplying Hot Water in the Home

    (PDF 836 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
    DOE's Building Technologies Program publishes this fact sheet as part of its "Building Technology" series; 4 pp.; August 2001.