Product Advice:
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Be Energy Smart
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Twenty-five Ways to Save Money (and the Planet) With Your Appliances
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Can't decide if you really need that new washer or refrigerator? Consider this: When
you replace an old energy-guzzling appliance with a high-efficiency model, you're
cutting utility costs. According to a recent U.S. Dept. of Energy report, appliances
account for roughly 20 percent of a home's energy consumption. But thanks to special
refrigeration insulation designs, pilotless ranges, thermal-retention dishwasher
tubs and automatic dryness sensors in dryers, today's models require less power
to operate than their predecessors do. Not only will replacing an appliance lower
your monthly overhead, you'll be doing your part for the environment: New products
help reduce smog, acid rain and other air pollutants by placing lower demands
on electrical power plants.
For starters, shop for
appliances that bear the federal EnergyStar logo. You can be sure you're buying
a product that uses at least 15 to 20 percent less energy than a standard model
(for a complete list of Energy Star appliances, go to www.energystar.gov/products/appliances.html).
There are other up-front savings, too: Buying an EnergyStar-labeled clothes
washer, dishwasher or fridge may make you eligible for a rebate from your local
utility company.
Here are more ways to shave a few bucks off your utility bills:
Refrigerator/Freezers
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Buy bigger. If you're thinking of getting a second refrigerator to keep spare soda cold, consider
replacing your existing refrigerator with a larger unit instead. That spare fridge can cost you an extra $50 to $150 a year in electricity, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. This nonprofit group in Washington, D.C., says it's generally less costly to operate one big refrigerator
than two small ones.
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Flip the energy-saving
switch. Since your refrigerator runs 24/7, it's one of the greatest power
guzzlers in your home. So use the energy (or power) saver button when it's cool
outside. This feature turns off a heat element that prevents condensation from
forming around the unit's door seal. (Note: Some models have automatic systems
and won't have a switch.) But in the late spring, summer and early autumn --
when humidity is high and condensation often forms -- you may want to turn the
power saver off.
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Avoid heat. To maintain a temperature from 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in your fridge, install
your unit away from a window, the range or wall oven. If you don't, you're making
the refrigerator's compressor work harder than necessary to keep its temperature
setting - and boosting your utility bills.
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Keep air flowing.
Although it's best to pack your freezer with foods, don't stuff refrigerator
baskets and shelves to the point that air circulation around food is blocked.
This reduces the strain placed on your refrigerator's compressor to keep foods
cool and decreases your costs.
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Minimize door openings.
To prevent cold air from escaping the refrigerator (again causing your unit
to work harder than necessary), "think about what you need before opening the
door" suggests Sharon Franke, the food appliances director at the Good Housekeeping
Institute. And while the door is open, grab several items at once. If you have
small kids, they may need a constant reminder that gets tacked onto the fridge
door.
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Clean the condenser
coils monthly. These serpentine-like coils, usually found on the bottom
of newer fridges, allow the hot refrigerant inside their tubes to cool off.
If the coils are covered in dust - especially in homes with pets - the dust
acts as insulation and prevents heat from escaping. This, in turn, makes the
refrigerator work harder and requires more juice to run (it can even cause the
system to prematurely fail). To clean the coils, simply unplug the unit, remove
the grill under the door(s) and vacuum or brush them.
Dishwashers
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Avoid pre-rinsing.
"Today's dishwashers are much better equipped to tackle heavy soil than older
models," says Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping Institute's home care director.
So there's really no need to waste tap water (and time) rinsing off food debris
by hand.
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Air dry dishes.
Unless you plan to use your dishes immediately after washing, forget the heat
dry option. Instead, use the air-dry feature, which recirculates heat that's
retained within the unit from the wash cycle.
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Run full loads.
Running a full load set to the right cycle - saves water and electricity. If
your cookware is only lightly soiled, avoid selecting the pots and pans cycle,
which uses more energy than a regular cycle to clean heavily soiled items with
longer, hotter washes. Of course, small families and singles may accumulate
only a few dishes each day. In that case, buy a dishwasher with a rinse and
hold feature (which pre-rinses heavily soiled dishes until the dishwasher is
full) or the split-load option (designed to wash partial loads).
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Don't use the temp
boost. Another way to save energy is to run the kitchen faucet until the
water is hot, rather than use the temperature boost button. This way, your dishwasher's
electric heater doesn't have to run as long.
Cooking units
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Size up your pans.
When using an electric range or cooktop, match the size of your pot or pan to
the burner or element you're cooking on. If the pot is too small, energy will
escape the sides. "And if it's too big," adds Franke, "you'll need more energy
to heat the outside of the pan."
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Preheat no longer than
10 minutes. Avoid burning energy unnecessarily. Conversely, turn the oven
off as soon as you're through cooking.
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Determine your self-cleaning
schedule. Since the oven's self-cleaning function requires energy, avoid
overusing it. Hit that self-cleaning button only when your oven's interior starts
to look grimy -- or when you've done a lot of baking or roasting.
Clothes washer
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Wash warm; rinse cold.
Why heat water unnecessarily? "Unless you have heavy stains to remove, you generally
don't need hot water to wash," insists Forte. "And rinsing clothes in warm water
doesn't contribute to the removal of detergent, either."
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Avoid skimping on soap.
You'll only end up having to rewash clothes. Instead, use enough detergent to
clean your clothes with one wash -- and spend a few minutes pretreating heavy
stains.
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Go for high-spin speeds.
Extract excess water from towels, jeans and heavy work clothes. "It'll save
energy used by the dryer," advises Forte.
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Run full loads.
But if you have only a half load, adjust the water level accordingly.
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Select "second rinse"
sparingly. This should be reserved for bulky items, such as pillows, jackets
and down comforters. Otherwise, you're wasting water and electricity.
Clothes dryer
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Load to capacity.
Granted, there are times you don't have a full load. Then, select the timed-dry
cycle and set it to the shortest time necessary.
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Batch your laundry.
By drying several loads consecutively, you're recycling heat that's retained
in the drum from one load to the next.
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Don't over dry.
Why burn energy and put unnecessary wear and tear on your clothes? If your dryer
features an automatic cycle that senses when items are dry and shuts the machine
off, use it.
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Lose the lint.
If your machine seems to take forever to dry, you may be suffering from lint
build up (and wasting energy). The solution: Clean the lint filter after each
use, and vacuum behind and beneath the unit and inside the dryer vent at least
once a year.
--Gail Gabriel
Copyright © brandwise LLC 1999/2000. Reprinted by permission.
Images courtesy of Phillip Ennis, Wood-Mode, and Hunter-Douglas |
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