Save Energy & Money NOW!
(Page 6 of 8)
October/November 2001
By Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
Take showers instead of baths. With a high-efficiency head, you'll use less than 10 gallons for a five-minute shower.
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Consider a solar or solar-assisted water heater. It's difficult to calculate the savings, but the vast majority of the 1.5 million homes and businesses that already use these systems think they're a great investment. Clothes washers and dryers. Laundry is one of the most energy-intensive activities. On average, it costs more than $150 per year to wash and dry clothes.
Most of the energy used in washing goes to heating the water. Switching from hot to warm or cold when possible can cut the energy used in half.
Run full loads, or use the load select option to best match water level with the amount of clothes being washed.
With dryers, dry multiple loads one after the other to make use of leftover heat. Using the moisture sensor instead of a timer can reduce energy use by 15 percent, saving you about $12 per year. This feature prevents the dryer from wasting heat on already dry clothes.
Buy a new washer. Energy-efficient washers cost more than their less efficient counterparts, but they use less water, less detergent and require less drying time. According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, replacing our old washer with a new front-loader can save $100 per gear in energy, water and detergent.
Refrigerators. Refrigerators use more electricity than any other appliance. Some older models cost as much as $150 yearly in energy use.
To boost efficiency of an old refrigerator, keep it cool. Position it out of direct sunlight and away from heat-generating appliances like the stove or dishwasher.
Perform regular maintenance. Clean the coils at least once a year and check door seals (they should be able to firmly grip a dollar bill) by shining a bright flashlight inside with the door closed. If light escapes, so will cold air.
Turn off the auto-defrost. In addition to dehydrating food and causing freezer burn, auto-defrost consumes more electricity.
Buy a new refrigerator. If your refrigerator is more than 10 years old, it may be time to buy a new one. According to Bill Brindle, a new Energy Star rated refrigerator will save you $35 to $70 per year compared with your old unit - which adds up to $525 to $1,050 during its 15 year life. Check with your utility company: You may also qualify for a rebate.
Computers. The average home desktop system uses $35 to $40 worth of electricity each year. Practice common sense: Turn off your monitor if it will be idle for 15 minutes or more, and shut off your system when it will not be used for more than two hours. Despite rumors to the contrary, turning a computer on and off will not harm components - in fact, doing so will protect the system in the event of a power surge or blackout.
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