There are many ways to save energy and money at home, many of which are simple and straightforward. If you are interested in reducing your carbon footprint, saving the planet and saving money on your utility bill, read on.
Wash Dishes by Hand – Using a dishwasher is more energy efficient than washing dishes by hand. In fact, you can save up to 5,000 gallons of water per year just by skipping this one task. The same goes for laundry; using an Energy Star certified washer can save up to 3,000 gallons of water each year compared to washing by hand.
Monitor Your Thermostat – Depending on the season, keep your thermostat at a higher temperature in the summer and lower temperature in the winter. Doing so will not only save energy, but it will also put less strain on your air conditioner or heater, making it last longer.
Use Power Strips – Most electronics continue to pull power even when they are turned off but still plugged in. By investing in a smart power strip you can easily remedy this problem by turning off several electronics at once with the flip of one switch.
If you’re like many homeowners, you are looking for ways to “go green” and reduce your energy usage. Maybe you’ve added insulation or installed low-flow shower heads. But maybe you want to do more to “green” your lifestyle. Did you know that by going green in the kitchen, you can save a substantial amount of energy?
The kitchen is one of the busiest places in the home, which means it’s also one of the most energy-intensive rooms in your home. Here are some tips that will help make your kitchen more environmentally friendly and efficient.
Select Energy-Efficient Appliances
When purchasing new appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label on products that meet strict guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These appliances often use up to 50 percent less energy than standard appliances and up to 20 percent less water. In addition, ENERGY STAR labeled products help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 700 pounds per year if everyone replaced old appliances with ENERGY STAR models. To find out how much you could save with new ENERGY STAR equipment, check out the ENERGY STAR Web site’s online calculator (see Resources).
If replacing all your kitchen appliances at once isn’t an option for you, consider upgrading
A double dishwasher can save you time, energy and money in the long run. According to one study, a standard dishwasher uses about 7 gallons of water per cycle, while an Energy Star dishwasher uses between 4 and 6 gallons. A double dishwasher uses even less than that.
When replacing your old dishwasher, consider purchasing a double model to reduce your home’s overall water consumption by half.
A dishwasher uses roughly 2 units of electricity and 10 units of water in one cycle. This translates to about $40 a year in electricity, and $30 a year in water.*
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If your dishwasher is old and not Energy Star qualified, it could be using up to twice as much energy, and 3 times as much water.*
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A lot of people don’t use their dishwasher because they think it uses too much energy. But all you have to do is run the dishwasher when it is full. I will let you in on a little secret: your dishwasher doesn’t have to be full to be effective! If you have some dirty dishes, simply put them in the bottom rack. Put a cup or bowl at the top of the bottom rack and put your silverware in the cup. Put another cup or bowl upside down on top of that so the silverware doesn’t fall through. Then fill the top rack with dishes and run it like normal! It’s that easy.*
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If you are still concerned, get an energy meter which will tell you how much energy each appliance uses. You can find these at most hardware stores for $20-$30.
Do you have a dishwasher? Most of us do, but we all know that water is a precious resource and we are told not to waste it. Here is a tip that can save you quite a bit of water. No, I am not talking about washing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I am talking about the rinse water that is left in the bottom of your sink after washing the dishes by hand. You can use this water to preload your dishwasher!
This is how I was taught to do it:
1) Wash most of the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Make sure that you leave enough room for the rinsed dishes. (You could even put some in a basket if needed.)
2) Now fill up your sink partially with clean water, just enough to cover the dishes still in the sink. This will be the rinse water, so don’t get all the soap out of it!
3) Take those last dirty dishes, and place them into the sink with clean rinse water. Swish them around and then put them into the dishwasher with the other dirty dishes. Voila! You have just saved enough clean water for another load of dishes!
Bought a double dishwasher. The last dishwasher I had was a single unit and it was large enough to hold everything in the house that needed washing. But since I bought the double unit, my kitchen counters are cleaner than they have ever been before.
It’s the same principle as having a larger garbage can. As long as you have room to throw something away, you probably won’t. On the other hand, if your garbage is getting full then you’ll tend to look for alternatives — recycling, composting, etc.