Appliance Tune-up
Back when fuel prices were up around $4.00/gallon, the mere anticipation of winter energy costs was enough to send a shiver down people’s spines. Now that gas prices are lower than what they were at their highest point, we can go back to wasting all we want, right? Not quite.
Depending on where you live, the chill of the winter season may already have descended upon your home, especially with the high cost of heating oil. In order to keep your house warm and your wallet full, here are some tips to maximize the efficiency of your appliances.
Keep it Up
Maintaining efficient appliances makes sense year-round, but it is especially important during the winter months, when fuel and energy costs tend to rise as a result of higher demand. These three major appliances have the potential to save, or cost, you hundreds of dollars over their lifetimes:
Refrigerators
- Be sure that you don’t keep your refrigerator next to your stove or dishwasher; the radiant heat will make it work harder to stay cool.
- Check the temperature at which it’s set. Use a thermometer to measure and keep the temperature in your fridge at 40°. Any higher, and your energy saving will be undercut by food that spoils more quickly.
- Make sure your seal is, well, sealed. Close a dollar bill in the door. If you can pull it out easily, then your seal may be weak.
- Keep the coils well ventilated and clean so that heat doesn’t build up.
Washers & Dryers
- Almost 90 percent of your washing machine’s energy use comes from heating water. Washing your laundry in warm, or better still, cold water can save you over $1,000 over the lifetime of your machine without compromising the quality of your wash.
- If you’re looking to buy a washer, front-loading machines tend to use less water and reduce wear and tear on your clothing.
- Almost all dryers have similar energy costs, but you can still save by drying full loads (do not overfill, though), keeping your lint filter clean and separating your loads by thickness of material (i.e. don’t dry towels with bed sheets).
Dishwashers
- The vast majority of expense here is heating the water to clean your dishes. While no one will recommend running your dishes through a cold cycle, you can cut cost by only running full loads.
- Many models now feature an “air dry” option, which can save you up to 50 percent of the energy used. If your unit doesn’t include this option, simply opening the door at the end of the cycle works just as well. It also fills the kitchen with a nice little blast of heat (you can do the same with the oven when you’re done cooking during the winter months).
Heating Your Home
Heating for the rooms and water in your home makes up the vast majority of your energy use, so it makes sense to keep both of these units running as smoothly as possible.
Water Heaters
- Since 15 percent or so of your energy bill comes from heating your home’s water, it makes sense to take care of your heater.
- If you’re in the market for a new heater, check out demand or electric heat pump models. Both provide heat only as needed and are improvements on the typical storage heaters. These systems spend day and night keeping between 20 and 120 gallons of water hot, just in case.
- If you’re stuck with what you’ve got, consider insulating the water tank and pipes that transfer the hot water. Most of the wasted energy comes in the form of heat loss from these two sources.
Furnace or Boiler
- If your home uses a furnace to move heated air throughout the house, consider hiring a contractor to check your ducts. Homes can lose up to 20 percent of their heat through poor ducts.
- Also, be sure to check your air filters regularly (once every three months, more during peak seasons like winter).
- Homes that use boilers should consider electric ignition (which replaces an ever-burning pilot light), and a new, more efficient pump.
In every case, buyers should look for the ENERGY STAR symbol on their products, which certifies the appliances as meeting the U.S. EPA’s highest standards for efficiency. If you have outdated models or are making an upgrade, check out local recycling and donation options in your area by using Earth911′s recycling location database.
- (11/06/2008). "Efficient Appliances" Flex Your Power http://www.fypower.org/res/efficient-appliances/.
- U.S.EPA & U.S. DOE(11/06/2008). "Appliances" Energy Star http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=appliances.pr_appliances.
- Caselman, Marilyn W. . Cornell University(11/06/1993). "Energy Efficiency of Major Appliances" Save Energy Dollars http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/houseeq/gh4950.htm.
