If your water comes out so hot it scalds you, that’s not doing anyone any good. When you have to immediately turn on the cold water to even out the temperature, you’re wasting precious hot water energy. If you turn your hot water heater down to a still-steamy but not painful 105 degrees, you’ll be saving your skin and a few bucks.

There’s no use heating hot water for an empty building, and in fact doing so creates opportunity for things to go wrong while there’s no one home to notice. If your building is going to be closed for a few days, consider turning off your hot water heater. Simply turn off the electricity to your hot water heater from the circuit breaker, set the thermostat to OFF if you have a gas heater, shut the gas supply line by turning the lever handle or knob, and close the water supply valve on the plumbing pipe above your heater. Just don’t forget to turn it back on (just reverse the process) when your building reopens. You can also accomplish this automatically by investing in an auto shutoff system for your heater.

For the best energy savings, take time to follow all the tips you’ve probably heard before. Insulate your tank water heater as well as the first six feet of hot and cold water pipes connected to it. Install heat traps on hot and cold pipes at the water heater if your unit doesn’t have them built in. Drain a quart of water from your tank every 3 months to remove the gunk that settles at the bottom, which reduces heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your water heater. Install low-flow shower faucets and shower heads; aerating models still feel like you’re getting the right amount of water pressure so you’re not missing out on that extra water. Invest in energy-efficient appliances when it’s time to replace your old ones.