Water heating in the household

In short: Water heating accounts for a significant share of household energy consumption, especially for showering and bathing. Different systems vary greatly in efficiency and cost.

In more detail: Choosing the right system depends on hot water demand, existing heating technology, and the building’s conditions.

In detail

• Central water heating: The heating system generates hot water for the whole house, often efficiently combined with heating via a buffer tank.
• Decentralized instant water heaters: Electric instant water heaters heat water directly at the point of use, without storage losses, but with high power draw during use.
• Solar thermal: Solar collectors can cover a significant share of hot water demand for free, especially during summer months.
• Heat pump water heaters: These units use ambient heat to warm water efficiently and need significantly less electricity than classic electric boilers.
• Legionella risk: Hot water tanks should be regularly heated to at least 60 degrees to prevent legionella growth.
• Pipe insulation: Well-insulated hot water pipes reduce heat losses on the way from the tank to the point of use.
• Reducing consumption: Water-saving shower heads and shorter showers directly and noticeably reduce hot water consumption (heizkosten-senken-und-richtig-heizen, waermepumpe).