How people use hot water

A recent study showed the importance of hot, continuous water among homeowners and how our bathing habits range, with gender and age among the factors influencing how much hot water we use. See how you and your family compare:

Do you prefer a shower or bath?

• 9 in 10 homeowners prefer a shower over a bath

How long do you shower or soak in a tub?

• 7% take less than 5 minutes
• 62% take between 6-12 minutes
• 18% take 13-16 minutes
• 14% take more than 17 minutes

Gender and age

• 1 in 5 women spend more than 16 minutes in the shower or bath, compared to 11% of men
• 44% of 18- to 34-year-olds take showers longer than 13 minutes; only 20% of people over age 55 shower that long.

Common problems:

• 1 in 3 people have problems with slow hot water or lack of hot water

Reasons to replace a water heater:

• 6 in 10 people would replace their water heater if they thought it would save energy.