These are the mass-energy consumers in your household, as they’re in use 24 hours a day. If investing in an ENERGY STAR-labeled fridge is not possible at this time, set your fridge thermostat around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Also dust off or vacuum your machine’s condenser coils twice a year for increased efficiency.
Freezers
These units are also big consumers, as they too are generally on 24/7. ENERGY STAR products will help to increase energy efficiency and cut costs. Keep in mind that top and bottom unit freezers are more efficient than fridge-freezer units next to each other. If you keep an extra freezer, place it strategically in a cool area—not in the garage where heat tends to collect and require more energy for cooling. A separate chest freezer is your best bet.
Clothes Washers
Beyond ENERGY STAR (which-you guessed it-applies here too), there also are some additional features that can maximize your energy efficiency. Front-loaders conserve water and energy by 40- 50%! Washing full loads and washing with cold water as much as possible, pushes this figure towards the high end of the scale. If you currently have a top-loader, utilize a range of features available for adjusting temperature, selecting load size and varying cycles.
Exercising your discretion with these features can boost the conservation impact of your machine.
Dryers
Dryers are not currently part of the ENERGY STAR program, as energy consumption is similar for all models across the board. If you’re not in a position (or climate area) to set up an old-fashioned clothesline for sundrying, here are some tips to save energy during drying:
- Find a model with automatic shut-off, or one that alerts you when loads are done.
- Designate one or two days per week "laundry days" and string loads one after another in order to maximize the heat left over from previous loads.
- The chest freezer logic applies here as well—place dryers in a warm part of the house so that less energy is required to generate heat.
Much more effective at cleaning and much more water efficient than washing by hand, the more energy-efficient units come with settings that allow you a great amount of control over energy expenditure.
Most of the energy used by this process goes to heating water before it even gets to your machine. Here are a couple of tips:
- Always wash a full load and select the shortest cycle appropriate.
- Don’t utilize the pre-rinse function on your machine unless necessary.
While gas stoves are definitely more efficient than electrics, they can prove to be a hazardous nuisance to those with respiratory sensitivities. If you are using an electric range, here are some tips to optimize energy use:
- When heating water and cooking dishes that allow for it, cover your pots and pans to trap heat and reduce cooking time.
- Turn off burners shortly before cook time is over—the burners will remain hot enough to complete your culinary masterpiece.
- Use pans that completely cover a burner to maximize your heat energy usage.
Keeping filters clean and turning off ACs when you’re out cuts costs and saves energy. Ceiling fans can be paired with air conditioners to help a room feel colder, which is a great summer tactic. During the winter, make sure the fan operates in a counterclockwise direction—this pulls heat upwards and the fan’s rotation then distributes air down the walls. Information found on www.greenlivingideas.com
Energy Saving Laundering Tips
Clothes Washers and Dryers Best Practices and Energy Saving Tips Clothes Washer Tips Wash in cold water: About 90% of the energy consumed for washing clothes is due to heating the water. Unless you're dealing with oily stains, the warm or cold water setting on your machine will generally do a good job of cleaning your clothes.
Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut energy use in half for washing one load. Using the cold cycle when you can reduces energy use even more.
Fill it up: Clothes washers use relatively the same amount of energy regardless of the size of the laundry load, run full loads whenever possible.
Avoid the sanitary cycle: This super hot cycle, available on some models, increases energy use significantly, so only use it when absolutely necessary.
Activate the high spin speed option: If your clothes washer has spin options, choose a high spin speed or the extended spin option to reduce the amount of remaining moisture in your clothes after washing. This decreases the amount of time it takes to dry your clothes.
Use a drying rack or hang clothes outside: Air-drying clothes (indoors or outdoors) helps them last longer and saves energy.
Leave the door open after use: Front-loading washers use airtight seals to make sure no moisture leaks while the machine is in use. However, when the machine is not in use, this seal can trap moisture in the machine. Be sure to leave the door ajar for an hour or two after use to allow any of the remaining moisture inside the machine to evaporate. Make sure children do not climb into the machine while the door is open.
Always use HE (High Efficiency) detergent: Front-loading clothes washers are designed specially to use only High Efficiency detergent. Using regular detergent in a front-loading washer will create too many suds in the machine. This leads to decreased washing and rinsing performance. Over time it can lead to mechanical problems, and foul odors.
Clothes Dryer Tips
ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers since there is little difference in the energy use between models. Here are some ways to reduce energy consumption when using your clothes dryer:
Use the moisture sensor option: The moisture sensor automatically shuts off the machine when the clothes are dry. Not only will this save energy, it will save wear and tear on your clothes caused by over-drying.
Clean the lint filter: Cleaning the filter after every load will improve air circulation and increase the efficiency of the dryer.
To learn more about clothes dryers and energy efficiency, please visit the U.S. Department of Energy's tips on energy efficient laundry .
Energy Star Appliance Information
AppliancesDid you know that the average home spends about $2,000 on energy bills every year? Change to appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR, and you can save $75 a year in energy costs, while saving the environment.
Save Energy, Save Money
When buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses.
ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10–50% less energy and water than standard models. The money you save on your utility bills can more than make up for the cost of a more expensive but more efficient ENERGY STAR model.
For top performance, premium features, and energy savings, look for energy-efficient clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, room air conditioners and dehumidifiers that have earned the ENERGY STAR. This mark may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the EnergyGuide label.
Residential Clothes Washers
Want to save money and protect the environment? Ask for ENERGY STAR... An ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer can save you $550 in operating costs over its lifetime compared to a regular clothes washer. ENERGY STAR qualified washers are also better for the environment because lowering energy and water use means less air pollution from power plants and less water going to waste.
Refrigerators & Freezers
Determine your Refrigerator Annual Operating Cost - go to:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator
ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators require about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993. ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators provide energy savings without sacrificing the features you want.
Earning the ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models use high efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to improve energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than
the conventional models sold in 2001.
Many ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models include automatic icemaker and through-the-door ice dispensers. Qualified models are also available with top, bottom, and side-by-side freezers.
ENERGY STAR qualified freezer models use at least 10% less energy than required by current federal standards. Qualified freezer models are available in three configurations:
- upright freezers with automatic defrost
- upright freezers with manual defrost
- chest freezers with manual defrost only
Remember, saving energy prevents pollution. In most households, the refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance. Replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model would save enough energy to light the average household for nearly four months.
You may also be interested to know that you can reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator or freezer uses, whether with a standard or an ENERGY STAR qualified model:
- Position your refrigerator away from a heat source such as an oven, a dishwasher, or direct sunlight from a window.
- To allow air to circulate around the condenser coils, leave a space between the wall or cabinets and the refrigerator or freezer and keep the coils clean.
- Make sure the door seals are airtight.
- Keep your refrigerator between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open.
- Recycle older or second refrigerators.
Replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save you more than $30 a year in utility costs.
Earning the ENERGY STAR means a product meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers use at least 41 percent less energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption. ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers use much less water than conventional models. Saving water helps protect our nation’s water supplies.
Because they use less hot water compared to new conventional models, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher saves about $90 over its lifetime.
Remember, saving energy prevents pollution. By choosing ENERGY STAR, you are helping prevent global warming and promote cleaner air without sacrificing the product quality and performance you expect.
You may also be interested to know that you can save extra energy while washing dishes, whether with a standard or an ENERGY STAR model:
- Run your dishwasher with a full load. Most of the energy used by a dishwasher goes to heat water. Since you can’t decrease the amount of water used per cycle, fill your dishwasher to get the most from the energy used to run it.
- Avoid using the heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features. Instead use your dishwasher’s air-dry option.
