Could you imagine life without your refrigerator, washer or television? These appliances have become staples of the American home and we rely on these modern conveniences every day. Appliances and electronics comprise more than 20 percent of the energy you use. You can reduce this expense by starving yourself, washing clothes by hand, or reading a book by candlelight, or consider an easier alternative; using your appliances and electronics as wisely and efficiently as possible.
Appliances
- Wash and dry only full loads of clothes.
- Use cold water instead of hot water, if possible, when washing clothes.
- Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load to improve the unit’s efficiency.
- Use dryer balls to lift and separate laundry items, allowing hot air to circulate more effectively and reduce drying time.
- Save the cleaning chores until after dark . Dishwashers, washers and dryers emit heat, raising the temperature in your home and increasing the operation of your air conditioner.
- Use a cooking pan that best fits the burner. Cooper-bottomed pots and pans heat up faster and using a lid will help reduce cooking times as well.
- Use a microwave oven or toaster as an energy-efficient alternative to a conventional oven.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing any new appliance. High-efficiency models will result in savings throughout the life of that appliance.
- Perform a home energy audit and carefully check appliances.
Electronics
- Plug bundled devices into the same power strip such as a TV and DVD player or a computer, monitor and printer. Then turn off the power strip when you’re not using the devices.
- Turn off the television whenever you leave the room.
- Unplug battery chargers for cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, power tools or other electronic gadgets when they are not being used. These energy vampires can quietly account for up to 10 percent of your month energy bill.
- Shut down your computer and monitor when you’re not using them. Use a power strip/surge protector for these devices. Enable your computer’s power down or sleep mode feature — screen savers don’t save energy.
- Use a laptop instead of your desktop computer, if possible, because it uses less energy.
These modern appliances eliminate much of the labor involved in day to day tasks such as washing and drying clothes, cooling and cooking food and entertainment, but they also use significant amounts of electric energy. By purchasing and using energy efficient appliances and electronics, you are helping lower your carbon footprint and at the same time keeping more money in your pocket.
Visit us at http://www.saveonenergy.com for more energy saving tips. Many of the tips are common sense suggestions that require no tools or out of pocket expense. Over time, you will see your energy efficiency increase and your energy savings multiply.