If you are looking to trim some money off of your utility bills and help out Mother Earth at the same time, your first green steps could start in the kitchen and laundry rooms.
According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), since 2000, the energy consumed by new home appliances has rapidly decreased, with refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes washers accounting for nearly 50% of the drop. For instance, replacing an eight year-old clothes washer with a newer average-efficiency one will not only trim more than $60 off of your electricity bill every year, it will also save nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year – a statistic that carries significantly more weight in drought-ridden areas of the South.
Not ready to take quite that leap of replacing your perfectly well working appliances? Here are a few tips to save some energy and trim down those bills with what you already have:
- Allow hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator. Also, cover any foods that may release moisture.
- Limit the number of times you open the refrigerator and freezer doors.
- Scrape, but do not pre-rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.
- Use that “no-heat air dry” feature on your dishwasher when you are not in a rush.
- Make sure to appropriately set the load size on your clothes washer and use the cold water settings whenever possible.
- Leave the door open on the washer when you are finished washing to allow air to circulate.
- Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load (you might even want to do the same to the dryer’s outside exhaust on a regular basis).
Simply by taking these steps, you will be well on your way to a greener lifestyle (environmentally and financially).
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