Reduce Appliance and Lighting Energy and Costs

• Be Conservative
• Lighting
• Phantom Loads
• Laundry
• Dishwashing
• Refrigeration
• Cooking
• Resources
• Calculate Appliance Energy Use

Be Conservative

Choose outdoor activities when possible, spend less time using appliances for recreation.

Lighting

Turn lights off when not in use.

Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it.

Use light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy, and decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.

Use energy efficient Compact Fluorescents wherever you can. They last longer and use less energy. They contain mercury, and so need to be properly recycled, however they release less mercury into the atmosphere than released by the high energy use of incandescent bulbs.

Install timers, photocells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on. Use outdoor lights with a motion sensor so they will turn on only when someone is present.

Install tubular skylights which not only add free light from the sun but improve productivity and mood.

Add an attached “solar space” for recreation or growing plants. This has the advantage of adding not only light but heat to your space. Bob Vila on Sunrooms Gary Reysa on Sunspaces and Solar Greenhouses

Phantom Loads

Eliminate Phantom Loads (or Vampires), the power consumed by devices even when they are turned OFF. Plug these “instant-on” items into a power strip with an on/off switch. When you finish using them, turn off the power strip.

Laundry

About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. Wash laundry in cold water.

Air dry your clothes.

Wash and dry full loads of clothes. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.

Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation, and don't over-dry your clothes. Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.

An EnergySTAR washing machine can be up to 50% more energy efficient. Front loading washers are the most energy efficient without sacrificing performance. Consumer Reports Washers and Dryers

Dishwashing

Don't waste water and energy rinsing your dishes - simply scrape them off.

The "rinse hold" cycle is an energy waster.

An EnergySTAR dishwasher can be up to 25% more energy efficient.

Refrigeration

Keep refrigerator coils clean and dust free, and defrost regularly. Set thermostat to 37.

Cover liquids and food in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and makes the compressor work harder.

A new refrigerator with an ENERGY STAR label uses at least 15% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001. DOE Energy Saver Tips

Cooking

Cover pans while cooking to prevent heat loss and use a pan the same size as your heating element (electric).

Turn off the oven or burner before the food is fully cooked and allow the heat in the pot or pan to finish the cooking process for you.

Make more food than you plan to use and freeze servings pre-portioned for your family.

Use the smallest heat source possible - reheat on the stovetop rather than in the oven, for example.

Use a pressure cooker. It really saves on energy.

Use a solar cooker. There are several commercial versions and you can make simple ones from plans on the internet.

Sun Oven	Solar Clothes Dryer, the old-fashioned laundry line.	Energy Guide Label
"Solar food cookers use an arrangement of reflectors to concentrate solar energy on a cooking vessel. A number of innovative designs have been developed. Many of the solar cooker designs are inexpensive and easy to build." Global Sun Oven http://builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooking/cooking.htm	"Hang it up. Clotheslines aren’t just a bit of backyard nostalgia. They really work, given a stretch of decent weather. You spare the energy a dryer would use, and your clothes will smell as fresh as all outdoors without the perfumes in fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You’ll also get more useful life out of clothes dried on indoor or outdoor clotheslines–after all, dryer lint is nothing but your wardrobe in the process of wearing out." h20 Free Ways to Save Energy	When buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses. ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10–50% less energy and water than standard models. The money you save on your utility bills can more than make up for the cost of a more expensive but more efficient ENERGY STAR model.