Worried that your hot water system is wasting energy? If you have a hot water tank, there are multiple ways to make your system more efficient. Here are several ideas to get you inspired:

1. Insulate it

Unfortunately, you inevitably lose some heat and thus energy through the sides of your hot water tank and through the sides of your pipes. To mitigate this loss, add insulation to your tank and pipes.

You can buy special hot water tank insulation blankets that are designed to fit around your tank. Check the manufacturer's instructions to ensure your hot water tank can handle extra insulation and to see which areas (such as the thermostat) should not be covered.

To insulate the pipes leading out of your hot water heater, buy some pipe insulation from your local hardware store. Designed to fit multiple sizes of PVC pipe, this easy-to-install insulation comes in a tube shape.

One edge of the insulation is open, and you simply slip that over your pipes. Then, you remove a small piece of plastic which reveals the adhesive strips that you use to secure the insulation in place. It is as easy as putting on a self-adhesive bandage.

2. Remove sediment

In many cases, simply maintaining your hot water heater helps to make it more efficient. To remove sediment from your system, turn off the cold water tap leading to your hot water heater – this tap attaches to the pipe that fills the tank.

Then, connect an old bit of garden hose to the drain valve on your tank and snake that hose over to your floor drain or a utility sink. Finally, open any hot water tap in your home and wait as the tank drains.

After it empties, turn back on the tap leading to the tank, fill it only slightly and empty it again. That last bit of water rushing into the tank will loosen and remove any remaining sediment.

3. Turn your thermostat down

If the thermostat on your hot water heater is too high, it wastes energy. The heater heats up the water and then has to maintain it at that temp even when you are not using hot water.

To save energy, turn down your thermostat as low as you can comfortably tolerate. Do not turn it below 60 degrees celsius as Legionella bacteria can grow in these relatively low temps.

4. Add solar panels to your roof

If your hot water tank is already fully insulated and free of sediment or if you don't want to give up piping hot water, consider sourcing your energy from the sun.

If you install solar panels to your roof or to an empty patch of your property, a contractor can hardwire them to your home's electricity system. As the panels harvest energy from the sun, your hot water system (and every other electric device in your home) can draw energy from there.

5. Consider a passive solar tank

Instead of using the sun indirectly to heat your water, get the sun directly involved. If you live in a sunny area, you can easily create your own passive solar water tank.

Essentially, you take an insulated tank such as an old water tank or an insulated water tank for cattle. Then, you build a box to surround that tank. You could build a box out of plywood, or you could even use an old refrigerator.

One side of the box needs to be made of glass or covered in perspex to allow in light. Orient the passive solar tank so the clear side faces to the north. Then, have a plumber create a system that allows you to bypass your existing hot water tank.

During the spring, summer and fall, you can turn off your hot water tank and rely on your passive hot water tank to heat your water, and then, you can revert to your traditional hot water heater in the winter or as needed.