Utahns found out early in March they would need to replace their water heaters fairly soon, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. The bill came as a response to the increasing concerns of climate change, and comes as a shock to many. This can certainly be a reason for public outcry from those who recently purchased storage water heaters as they'll now be required to buy a different system. The moral of the story – plan ahead and make the switch to an efficient system before the law requires you to do it to your chagrin.

Zero pollution is the goal
There are viable options to heat water in households nowadays that don't pollute the environment. If society can cross one more item off its list of "technology that contributes to climate change," all the better.

This bill in Utah is just the start of what may come to many states. Storage water heaters use twice the energy an electric tankless water heater does because of their design. The water is pre-heated, sits in the tank until it's used and it begins to drop in temperature over time. This requires the system to use more energy to warm it back up, without the guarantee that water will ever be used.

Electric tankless water heaters are 99 percent energy-efficient, meaning they use very small amounts of electricity and make the most of consumption by only activating when the water flows through the system. If your storage water heater is on its last legs, consider making the switch to tankless before your state or local government changes regulations for environmental reasons. Those who are ahead of the issue will reap more savings than their neighbor who is slow to change.

The benefits of an electric tankless water heater
Electric tankless water heaters provide numerous financial benefits to homeowners, the most recognizable perk being the amount of money they help residential owners save on their utility bills. Tankless water heaters are about 8 to 34 percent more energy-efficient than storage systems, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This helps those who make the switch save around $100 a year on energy.

Tankless water heaters last 15 to 20 years, the DOE reported. In a house that conserves water well, they could last even longer. This is a far cry from storage water heaters, which generally last between eight and 10. It doesn't make sense to keep buying a new system every decade, when one purchase could last twice as long or more and provide more monetary benefits to the homeowner.

There's a barrel of savings waiting for those who want to make the switch to a more affordable water heating system, and those that do will be ready for any local, state or federal initiatives about clean energy thrown their way.