Enjoy a hot shower or relaxing bath using water heated by over 90% low-carbon energy.
Simply heat your water 11pm to 5am.
Use 100% low-carbon electricity by heating your water overnight, between 11pm and 5am, ready for you to use throughout the day.
Let nature power your shower
Typically, households set timers to heat water during peak times (around breakfast, lunch, and dinner) or just before it’s needed. On an island scale, this means tens of thousands of households heat water simultaneously, creating a surge or ‘peak’ in electricity demand. During colder, darker months, fossil fuels are needed to meet this demand, leading to a significant carbon impact.
Let nature power your shower and heat water overnight.
Use 100% low-carbon electricity by heating your water overnight, between 11pm and 5am, ready for you to use throughout the day.
Setting your timer to heat water during ‘off-peak’ times (11pm to 5am), is the simplest way to significantly reduce your hot water cylinder carbon emissions by up to 90%.
Reduce costs and carbon.
For many households, electricity costs can drop by more than half* after 9pm. And after 11pm, 100% imported low-carbon electricity is used.
Set your timers 11pm to 5am and let nature help heat your water.
*For customers on the Super Economy 12 Tariff
What is a hot water cylinder?
To put it simply, hot water cylinders ensure your household has hot water, when you need it.
Electric hot water cylinders use electricity to directly heat elements inside the tank to heat water. These water tanks have their own power supply which automatically switches off when the water temperature you’ve selected on your thermostat gets reached.
From cold to hot, direct hot water cylinders typically take around 2-hours to heat water and are mainly used for:
- Showers
- Baths
- Kitchen and bathroom sinks
You simply set the cylinder timer to heat your water, resulting in hot water when you need it. But, more often than not, there is a carbon impact associated with heating water.
Hot water cylinder checklist
Not sure where to start? Have a look at the checklist below.
Take Control- How to set your timer
Most hot water cylinders come with an immersion timer, however if you don’t have one, simply contact an electrician to get one installed.
Using timers gives you precise control over when you heat your water, especially beneficial if you’re on the Super Economy 12 Tariff as it will cost over 50% less.
Try Before You Commit
If you have a programmer installed, changing the time is easy. If it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to your previous settings.
Steps to Adjust Your Timer:
- Locate Your Timer: Trace the cable from the cylinder element to find the timer, which could be digital or mechanical.
- Check Current Settings: Record the current timer settings. If you don’t have a timer, ask an electrician to install one.
- Set Heating Schedule: Adjust the timer to heat from 11pm to 5am. For specific instructions, Google the make and model of your programmer.
- Confirm Settings: Double-check the timer settings to ensure they start at 11pm. You may need to select ‘set’ or ‘confirm.’
- Activate timer. Switch the timer to ‘auto’ or ‘timer’ mode to make sure it follows the 11pm-5am schedule and doesn’t just heat constantly*.
*If you heat your water all day on the Super Economy 12 Tariff, you could be spending unnecessarily during your normal-rate times.
Size does matter.
One size does not fit all. Is your cylinder correctly sized for your household needs?
If you notice your hot water isn’t meeting the daily hot water demands of your household, this may indicate that you have an incorrectly sized cylinder and a larger cylinder should be a consideration. If your hot water cylinder runs empty, it usually takes about 2 hours to fully reheat and meet your household’s needs.
Thanks to their insulation, most cylinders retain heat well, keeping water hot for several hours and ensuring it’s ready when you need it throughout the day.
It’s a common misconception that heating your water overnight equals cold water when you need it. If your cylinder is the correct size for your property occupant’s needs, you will have enough hot water.
Simple behavioural changes can also have a significant impact, for example having shorter showers and being mindful of water usage.
Still running out of hot water?
If you find you’re consistently running out of hot water, it’s best to contact your installer or preferred plumber.
The easy way to significantly cut your carbon.
To put it simply:
Sleep– Overnight water heating means you’ll become more sustainable while you’re asleep.
Heat – Let the power of the night take care of your hot water needs and set the timer to heat from 11pm to 5am.
Wake – Step out of ‘peak’ times and into ‘off-peak’ hot water that’s better for our island.
Repeat – Keep your timers set 11pm to 5am then wake up everyday to cleaner, cheaper hot water, powered with nature.
Why not try a home energy audit?
Guernsey Electricity is offering a tailored, paid-for service to help customers waste less energy in their homes and free up capacity across the grid.