We've talked about saving $$ if you have an electric water heater, but

[lizziegrace]

what if yours is natural gas? I have a neighbor who, like most of us, is scraping by month to month. She wants to get her utilities down.

Any suggestions? Are there timers for gas water heaters?

Thanks!

[Warpy]

1. There are two things to do

First, turn the temperature down to the lowest setting. Trust me, 120 degree water is hot enough for everything. Second, insulate the heater and the hot water pipes that are exposed.

When the water heater finally conks out, consider replacing it with a tankless heater. The longer life of tankless heaters plus the energy savings mean there's a pretty quick payback on the increased cost of installation.

[onestepforward]

2. I insulated our gas water heater and it did help.

I got a pre-formed "jacket" for mine at Lowe's for about $20.