Home Design Guides: Sustainability, Hot water

The wrong hot water system can easily account for the lion's share of your electricity consumption. In fact, electric tank systems are being phased out. Find out how different systems compare in terms of efficiency.

In most plumbing setups, it takes a while for hot water to reach the hot tap when it's turned on. Cold water diverters recycle the cold water which would otherwise pour down the drain in this time.

Hot water systems can chew through a lot of energy - and as a result these days they come with energy efficiency ratings to help you understand how best to choose the most efficient model.

Electric tank storage hot water systems are notorious for the amount of greenhouse emissions they're responsible for. As a result, they're now being phased out throughout Australia.

See how lagging (insulation) and the distance that hot water has to travel through your pipes can affect energy efficiency in your hot water system.

The hot water system you choose will make a huge difference to how much energy you use. Read on to find out what kind of system is the most efficient for your situation.