Title: 5 Tips for Going Green at Home
1. Buy energy efficient appliances. Today’s energy efficient dishwashers use less water and energy than hand washing, so go ahead and make the switch!
2. Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescents or LEDs. They last longer and use less electricity than regular light bulbs.
3. Wash laundry in cold water and air dry whenever possible. These two tips can save up to $150 a year on utility bills.
4. Try to avoid disposable items like paper towels, napkins, plates, cups, etc. Invest in reusable products instead – your wallet with thank you!
5. Eat local food and buy from local farmers’ markets whenever possible! This reduces the amount of fuel required for transportation and helps support your local economy.
A lot of people assume that being green means spending a lot of money. But there are smart ways to save energy and water that also save you money.
Here’s one: when you’re shopping for a new dishwasher, look for the ENERGY STAR label. ENERGY STAR dishwashers use less water and energy than older models, which can save you up to $35 per year in utility bills while reducing your environmental impact.
Check out our other tips below:
Replace your old incandescent bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps). CFLs last 7 to 10 times longer than incandescents, use 75 percent less energy, and cost about $2 each. If every American household replaced one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions from about 7 million cars.
Turn off appliances when not in use. Idle appliances still draw power; this is known as phantom load or vampire power. TVs, VCRs and DVD players can comprise more than 15 percent of your electric bill if left plugged in 24 hours a day. Make a practice of unplugging electronics when they’re not in use, or
In most families, the dishwasher gets a workout every night. And if you’re like me, you probably use it to clean everything from plates and glasses to pots and pans. But what about the dishes that are just a little dirty? After all, it seems silly to run an entire load of dishes where only a quarter of them are actually dirty.
So I was thrilled when I learned about the latest in dishwasher technology: the Super Saver Cycle! You guessed it – this setting allows you to clean just your dirtiest dishes using less water and less energy. It’s perfect for those times when you don’t have a full load of dishes to wash.
I talked to my friend Ben, who works for an appliance manufacturer, to learn more about how the Super Saver Cycle works. He explained that manufacturers were able to create this cycle by decreasing the amount of water that filled up in the base of the dishwasher during each load.
“But wait,” I said, “wont that cause my dishes to come out dirty?”
Ben assured me that manufacturers compensated by adding a bit more heat into each cycle (which is why it’s still important not to pre-rinse!). My dishes now come out just as clean as they did before, but
The days of cheap energy are over. With gas prices hovering near $4 a gallon and electricity prices on the rise, people are looking for ways to cut their utility bills. One of the best ways to do this is to buy an energy efficient dishwasher.
A new ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwasher will save you money in operating costs over its lifetime, and also save you water. If your dishwasher was made before 1994, it probably uses over 10 gallons of water per cycle. A new ENERGY STAR® model uses less than 5 gallons, a 50 percent savings in water usage. This means that replacing an old dishwasher with a new ENERGY STAR® model could save you up to 3,000 gallons of water each year!
Here are five tips for choosing the right dishwasher:
The way to save the environment is to save money. Use less stuff, especially energy. But this doesn’t mean you have to wear hair shirts and live in the woods. You can buy a dishwasher.
You’re probably thinking, “Dishwashers use energy.” Indeed they do. They also use water, and that’s one of the reasons they use energy: pumping and heating it takes up most of their power budget. And washing dishes by hand uses more water than you’d think: according to a study I recently saw, it takes about 27 gallons (102 liters) per hand-washing session. This is probably because so many people run the tap until it’s hot, rather than filling a basin with hot water from the beginning; but whatever the reason, it’s a lot of water.
But don’t despair! Dishwashers use less water and energy than hand-washing does. Let me repeat that: dishwashers use less water and energy than hand-washing does. A dishwasher uses 6 gallons (23 liters) per load—less than a quarter as much as washing by hand!
For consumers trying to become environmentally conscious, making the right choices can be hard. There is a lot of information out there, and different sources may contradict each other. Here are some tips to help you make good decisions:
Tip
When shopping for a new dishwasher, you want to make sure you get one that’s not only efficient, but also gets your dishes clean.
First, look for the Energy Star logo. The current federal standards require all dishwashers to use less energy, but Energy Star products are at least 40% more efficient and can save you about $35 per year in energy and water costs. They also must meet performance standards.
Before buying any dishwasher, check its energy rating in the yellow EnergyGuide label. It will tell you how much electricity and water it uses per year. This is important because some dishwashers with low annual energy use cost more than others with higher annual electricity use. The savings over time may be worth it, but first know how much energy and water your machine will use each year.
Another tip is to look for a machine with a soil sensor. This sensor can tell how dirty the water is and adjust the cycle accordingly so it doesn’t waste water on dishes that are already clean enough.
One other thing to keep in mind when buying any new appliance is whether or not it contains recycled materials. Many manufacturers are using parts made from recycled plastic, glass, or steel in their appliances today and they’ll likely have that information in their