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Efficient Appliances Cut Energy BillBy Jim Sulski Summary: Household appliances account for one-fifth of your energy bill. Jim gives tips on how to purchase and maintain your appliances to give you lower energy bills. With fluctuating prices for oil and natural gas, many homeowners are feeling
the sting of our energy bills. So it's also a time to think harder about energy
conservation to save money. One area that people tend to overlook in trying to save energy is with appliances. There are simple steps you can take to make your appliances work more efficiently to cut energy costs. Appliances - not counting water heaters - usually account for about one-fifth of your home's energy usage, according to statistics from the utility companies. That's a fairly healthy chunk and can add up to a lot more if you have an all-electric stove or dryer. With electrical appliances, it often makes sense to consider buying a more energy efficient unit. For example, a refrigerator five years old-plus can cost between $150 to $200 to run a year in electricity costs. New high efficiency units cost about $60 a year to run. As a result, a new unit will save you at least $90 a year in energy costs. That means it would only take about five years to pay off a $450 refrigerator and then the savings stay in your pocket. Usage also comes into play with certain appliances. For example, a refrigerator will always be running. But if you have a large family, chances are you're running your washer and dryer almost nonstop. Hence, the more energy efficient the better. When shopping for a new appliance, look for an Energy Star label. This is basically a seal of approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy and identifies an appliance as the most energy efficient in its class. Also look for those yellow and black Energy Guide labels which detail the annual energy consumption and estimated operating cost for an appliance. And yes, there are numerous steps you can take to keep your appliances operating as efficiently as possible. For example, with refrigerators, use an appliance thermometer to make sure the unit is not too cold. Recommend temperatures for a refrigerator is between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while freezers should be at five degrees. Also, don't allow frost to accumulate more than a half-inch in a refrigerator or freezer. This will cause the motor to run more often. Check the gasket or seal on the unit. Put a piece of paper between the door gasket and the refrigerator and close the door. If you can easily pull the paper out, the seal may need to be changed. Clean the coil on your refrigerator at least twice a year by using a damp rag to gently wipe any dirt and dust. Or vacuum around it. The unit will work more efficiently as a result. Older refrigerators usually have the coil on the back while they're located below on new units. Here are some tips for stoves: When buying a gas stove, choose one that has auto ignition. This eliminates the pilot light, which wastes energy. Also, cover pots when boiling water. It will take less time. And keep the stove clean. Reflectors and burners reflect the heat better when they're clean. If you own an electric stove, turn off the burner a few minutes before you're through cooking. The element will stay warm enough to continue cooking the food. Here are a few tips for dishwashers: Only run a dishwasher when it is full. Dishwashers use less water than if you were washing the dishes by hand, but it uses hotter water. That causes you're water heater to run more. Another energy eater is the prewash option. Avoid it. Instead, scrape away leftover food before putting the dishes into the dishwasher. Also, allow the dishes to air dry. Finally, here are a few tips for washers and dryers: Again, run only full loads on both machines. Use the automatic drying sensor feature on your dryer. It will turn the heat off on the dryer quicker. And wash clothes as often as you can in cold and warm water with a cold water
detergent. This will take the burden off your hot water heater. © by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. February 22, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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