Appliances
Just about every appliance you use for cooking and cleaning in your home represents an opportunity to do OneThings to save energy - most notably, replacing older units with the latest energy efficient models.
Refrigerators and Freezers
Refrigerators and freezers can account for up to 20% of your home's electricity use - more than any other single household appliance. If your refrigerator was purchased before 1993, it probably uses 30% more electricity than a new model - and nearly 50% more than a new ENERGY STAR qualified model. Worse, if you have a second refrigerator in your garage or basement, you could be paying $100 or more a year just to keep those extra sodas cool. Upgrading the old fridge is one of the biggest OneThings you can do!
Dishwashers
80 to 90% of the energy consumed by a dishwasher is used to heat the water. The best way to improve the efficiency of your dishwasher is to reduce the amount of water needed to clean the dishes. How? By only washing full loads. Also, if your dishwasher is older than 10 years, it is using a lot more water and nearly 60% more energy than a new ENERGY STAR qualified model. Many new dishwashers also have smart sensors that adjust the water temperature and volume to match the load of dishes. Internal water heaters boost the cleaning temperature without creating demand on the water heater. Remember, use the air dry or energy saver mode instead of heating drying to save even more. And get this, using your dishwasher is generally more energy efficient than washing dishes by hand. It's true!
Clothes Washers
The typical household may do as many as 400 loads of laundry per year, using approximately 40 gallons of water per load with a conventional washer. Ninety percent of the energy consumed by clothes washers is used to heat the water. So new energy-efficient washers save energy and money by using less water. In fact, most new energy-efficient top-loading clothes washers use between 20 and 60% less energy than a comparable 10-year-old unit. ENERGY STAR qualified models use 50% less energy than new conventional models. You can easily save over $100 per year on your energy bill, plus a few bucks on your water bill, as well.
Dryers
While there are currently no ENERGY STAR rated dryers available, newer models are generally more energy efficient than older models. You can also reduce energy use by making sure loads aren't too big or too small, and by using the spin cycle on your washer to reduce drying times. But the biggest OneThing of all, is giving your dryer a rest and air drying when you can.
Ovens and Ranges
Your oven and range generally use more energy than smaller cooking appliances like microwaves and pressure cookers. OneThing you can do is make it a rule to use an alternative to your oven or range whenever possible.
Small Appliances
The best way to save energy with smaller appliances is to always buy ENERGY STAR rated models when available. And don't leave them plugged in when you're not using them. Even when they're off, they can drain a small amount of electricity.