Saving energy in the bathroom: 5 tips & tricks

Save resources & reduce costs

Rising energy costs are currently a concern for all of us. To avoid high additional payments and at the same time reduce environmental impact, it’s worth saving energy. In the bathroom in particular, you can make many small adjustments to keep costs under control and contribute to climate protection. Below, we present 5 tips and tricks to help you face your next electricity bill with peace of mind.

Control water consumption & temperature

In many German households, hot water is still heated using a water heater. This requires a very high amount of energy, so reducing water consumption and lowering the temperature offers significant savings potential. This does not mean you have to shower in cold water from now on, but even reducing the water temperature by a few degrees can lower costs.

With modern water heaters, you can also save electricity, but there are more ways to reduce water consumption in the bathroom:

• Turn off the water while lathering or brushing your teeth.
• Install water-saving fittings: modern mixer nozzles add air to the water, keeping the water stream strong. A flow limiter can also be used for the sink.
• Prefer a short shower over a long bath.
• Install a toilet flush with a stop button and use it.

Heat & ventilate wisely

Due to the high humidity in the bathroom, you should ventilate regularly. Of course, this also leads to heat loss. Therefore, follow the well-known tip and open the window fully several times a day for a few minutes (shock ventilation) instead of keeping it tilted all the time. This way, less heat is lost and you need less energy to reheat the air.

No one likes to feel cold – and no one should have to – but in most bathrooms it is warmer than necessary. With temperatures of up to 25°C, it is often already too warm – for some, just barely acceptable. The calculation is simple: for every degree less you heat, you can save around 6% in energy costs. With that money, you could treat yourself to a cozy bathrobe that keeps you warm in a long-term and cost-effective way.

Check electrical devices

We already mentioned the water heater, but there are more potential energy guzzlers in the bathroom. Do you have a washing machine or dryer in your bathroom? Technological progress means that modern appliances can wash hygienically clean at lower temperatures and generally consume less electricity. In 2021, energy efficiency classes were adjusted, so your current devices likely consume more power than newer models.

However, you don’t need to discard a functioning washing machine right away. Keep this in mind and consider replacing it with a more efficient model when it breaks down, or use shorter or colder wash programs from now on.

It’s also worth taking a closer look at the following small devices:

• Hairdryer
• Curling iron and straightener
• Electric shaver
• Electric toothbrush
• Bathroom radio

Again, there’s no need to throw away old devices unnecessarily. But using them wisely, reducing usage time, or lowering temperatures can reduce energy consumption. This also includes not leaving devices constantly on their charging station, but only charging them when needed.

An electric towel warmer in the bathroom also consumes a lot of energy. If it is the only source of heat, make sure towels do not completely cover it. Otherwise, the towel will absorb all the heat and less will be released into the room.

Lighting: use LED energy-saving bulbs

If you haven’t already, you can switch to modern LED lighting in the bathroom. Studies suggest that this can save up to 90% of the energy used for lighting. Today, LED bulbs provide bright and pleasant light just as quickly as halogen lamps. They are also more affordable and last longer.

In a bathroom with natural light, you can usually do without artificial lighting during the day. But even when it is darker, you may not need to turn on all lights at once. When you leave the room, switch the lights off. If you often forget, motion sensor lights are a good option, as they turn off automatically after a few minutes.

Take structural measures

This point is more relevant for homeowners than tenants, but better insulation or replacing old windows can help reduce heating energy and lower costs. You might also consider upgrading your heating system or installing a solar thermal system.

For such measures, it’s worth checking current subsidy programs to reduce purchase or renovation costs so that the investment pays off in the end.

What does this mean in euros?

How much money you can save by consistently applying energy-saving measures depends on your current consumption and electricity tariff. However, estimates suggest that by reducing hot water and electricity use in the bathroom alone, you can save several hundred euros per year. Even implementing only some of the measures can result in savings of around 10 euros per month.