We’ve said before that using cold water can help you save energy, but that’s kinda obvious, isn’t it? What we haven’t always done is explain just how much you could save.

Until now.

We’ve done some digging and found a few people who’ve crunched the numbers. While we’d like to emphasize that these calculations are not universally true—every household is different—they do an awfully good job of illustrating why using colder water whenever possible can have a pretty big impact on your energy bill. Read on to learn more.

Colder Showers
A “cold shower” doesn’t have to mean “just above freezing.” In an analysis published by The Nest, it was found that reducing shower temperatures even to 65 degrees can have an impressive effect on savings. Check out how they did their calculations—and what those calculations showed—here.

Colder Water Heaters
Does 120 degrees sound cold to you? That’s what the Department of Energy recommends as a setting for tank-based water heaters, but the default factory setting on most water heaters is actually 20 degrees higher. Why is that an issue? Because it’s costing you money. And according to a post by The Simple Dollar, by turning down the dial you could save as much as 10 percent on your hot water energy costs.

Colder Wash Cycles
How often do you use your washing machine’s cold water cycle? We’re guessing you’ll use it a lot more after you read an article that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor. By their calculations, using cold water for your wash cycles could reduce your energy use per load by as much as 90%.

And Might We Mention the Heat Pump Water Heater?
Listen, we get it—really we do. It’s fun to think of ways to save energy and figure out new strategies to reduce your consumption, but some days you’re just going to want to take a hot shower, gosh darn it!

Because of course everyone uses and enjoys hot water. But if you haven’t yet discovered the advantages of a heat pump water heater, we’d like to invite you to learn more about it—and how it can save the average household as much as $300 per year.

Sure, it’s a little more expensive up front, but would your ol’ pals at POWER MOVES just leave you hanging? Of course not. That’s why we offer a rebate when you make the switch.

And if you’re looking for more ideas to save energy at home? Contact your Energy Advisor today.