PSA: The $3 appliance timer hack that saved my electric bill

I was tired of my old water heater running all day when nobody was home, cranking up my electric bill in Phoenix. Picked up a simple 24-hour mechanical timer at Ace Hardware for $3.50 and wired it to only run from 6-9 AM and PM. Has anyone else used a basic timer to knock down their utility costs?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.robin12d ago

Is that timer rated for the water heater amperage though?

julia_patel12d ago

@park.robin you're right to check that, grab a heavy duty 40 amp timer and you'll be set.

elliotadams12d ago

Wait, did you really get a timer for only $3.50? That's wild because here in Seattle my electric bill is no joke either, so I totally feel your pain on that. Honestly, I've been running my water heater on a smart plug for a few months now and it's honestly made a huge difference in my monthly costs. Ngl, it feels like a small win every time I see the bill go down just because I bothered to set a schedule. I'm glad you found something that works, even if it means waking up to cold water when the timer slips up sometimes. Tbh, it's nice to know someone else is out there fighting the same boring utility battle and coming out ahead.