Who doesn't like to take a nice steamy hot shower? Or, need hot water to clean dishes, laundry, etc.? Hot water directly from the tap is a modern luxury few of us can live without. But, did you know that heating your water for daily use is the second biggest energy guzzler in your home (after the AC)?

While, this can be an expensive item (and not as easy to "adopt" as a compact fluorescent light bulb), it's worthwhile to take a look at how much money you can save if you were to get a solar system (which run about $3,000 -- State and Federal rebates can almost halve that) or a tankless water heater.

A conventional water heater uses electricity to keep the water in your tank warm all the time (even when you're out of the home or asleep). What a waste! Tankless systems, on the other hand, only power up when you turn on the hot water tap. According to homeowners who have them, it doesn't take long at all for the hot water to find its way to the fawcett. The systems work by heating the water as it passes through. There are no storage tanks involved, hence no need to keep water hot all the time.

For more information on tankless water heaters, check out the U.S. Department of Energy's Web site.

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