Appliances account for about 20% of household energy use. Appliances and electronics really add up on your energy bill. When shopping for new appliances and electronics look for energy efficiency labels.
Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load.
Consider air-drying clothes on clothes lines or drying racks.
Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.
Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
Make sure power management is activated on your computer.
In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Plug home electronics into power strips and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.
Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use. Many chargers draw power continuously, even when the device is not plugged into the charger.
Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
When shopping for a new clothes dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry.
Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load.
Consider air-drying clothes on clothes lines or drying racks.
Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.
Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
Make sure power management is activated on your computer.
In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Plug home electronics into power strips and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.
Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use. Many chargers draw power continuously, even when the device is not plugged into the charger.
Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
When shopping for a new clothes dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry.
