WASHERS & DRYERS

Clothes washers use both hot water and electricity. Operate your washer properly to use energy efficiently. The energy to produce hot water is the major cost in washing clothes. Use cold and warm cycles as often as possible. Cold or warm water should be used to wash permanent press articles, washable woolens, and lightly soiled articles. Read garment tags for cleaning instructions. Wash full loads. The same amount of energy is needed for a full load as for a single item. If your washer has a mini-load feature, small loads can be washed on this setting with a reduction in energy consumption. However, it still requires less energy to wash one full load than several small loads. Don't overload the washer. Overloading reduces cleaning action and makes the machine work harder. Mix the weight and size of garments in a full load. This improves the cleaning action by allowing freer circulation. Wash clothes of similar fabrics and fibers together. Use the shortest washing cycle suitable for the type involved. Also, use the coldest water setting that will get the job done right. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for adding detergent. Over sudsing increases energy consumption by making the washer work harder, and a second rinse may be needed to remove suds. Use the water-level selector on the washer to match the amount of water to the size of the load and conserve both energy and water. Select a washing time that is appropriate for the load. Soak cycles can allow for shorter wash times. Suds-saver feature allow for the reuse of hot and warm water for several loads. Always rinse in cold water.

Clothes Dryers use gas or electric energy. Use your dryer properly to use this energy efficiently. Heat, air flow, and tumbling action must be present for a clothes dryer to operate properly. Dry full loads. Generally, one washer loads equals one dryer load. Many light-weight fabrics dry easily without using the dryer at all. Don't overload the dryer. Overloading makes it work longer to get clothes dry, wastes energy, and may cause abrasions, lint, and wrinkles. Sort dryer loads and set temperature by fabric weight and fiber content. Dry consecutive loads to take advantage of retained heat in the dryer. Clean lint filter before every load. Lint collected on the screen reduces the air flow and increases drying time. Remove clothes as soon as the cycle in complete to avoid ironing or running the dryer again just to remove wrinkles. Don't over dry clothes. Over drying makes clothes feel harsh and sets wrinkles in permanent press clothing. Vent dryer outside to reduce excess heat and moisture in the house.

INSULATION

Following are some easy, do-it-yourself tips on insulation. They'll all help you conserve. However, we recommend that you take a more thorough look at insulation and discuss your needs with a qualified contractor. We'll be glad to provide you with insulation guidelines.

Roof and Ceiling: You can easily pour loose insulation between ceiling joists.

Install batting or blanket insulation on the floor or between roof rafters. Storm doors and windows can easily pay for themselves in a short time . They create dead air space which acts as insulation. If crawl space opens into the cellar for ventilation, it should be closed from cold outdoor air. Cracks in the foundation should be patched periodically with grout (cement). If crawl space opens to outdoor air, insulate the floor above with batting. Chimney damper.

Be sure it fits tightly to prevent fireplace drafts. Check to make sure it's closed when you're not using your fireplace.

Outside walls: Batting or blanket insulation can be added when building a new house or renovating an old one.  Or, have a professional put blown fill in between inner and outer wall surfaces.

Weather-stripping: Metal is more durable than felt. When installed around doors and windows to the outside or unheated areas, it'll minimize drafts. Spackling compound. Use it to patch cracks in interior walls. Be sure to fill in cracks around outlets and switches. Caulking: Caulking around windows and door frames on the outside of the house seals cracks. Paint. A good coat of exterior paint on caulking will seal tiny cracks you may not have noticed. Wall, floor, ceiling covers. All will have some insulation value for your home.

TREES AND SHRUBS

Plant them near the house to break the force of the wind.

REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS

Refrigerators work around the clock and are substantial energy users. The energy consumption is determined by overall size, insulation and method of defrosting. The following recommendations will help you use your refrigerator efficiently. Locate refrigerator away from direct sunlight and other heat sources. Never put a heating appliance and a refrigerator side-by-side.  Allow adequate wall and cabinet clearance to give refrigerator room to breathe. Keep condenser free of dust. A condenser behind the toe grid can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner crevice attachment. If it's on the back, try a long-handled brush. Keep warm air out to prevent compressor from operating excessively. Know what you need before opening the door. This will shorten the length of time the door is open. Quickly cool hot foods by dipping storage container in ice water. Refrigerate as soon as possible. Do not allow foods to cool to room temperature first. Store foods in shallow containers to hasten cooling. Cover all foods to reduce evaporation of moisture. This reduces frost build-up and the transfer of odors from one food to another. Be sure door gasket is kept clean and is not loose or worn. A poor seal lets in warm air. The refrigerator section should be 37oF to 40oF. Check the temperature by placing an outdoor thermometer on the center shelf. Adjust the control if too high or too low. The freezer section should be 0 °F. Every degree above shortens the length of time foods will keep. For manual defrost systems, allow no more than 1/4 inch of frost to accumulate on the evaporator. Defrost and clean interior as needed. All refrigerator and freezer sections must be checked regularly for cleanliness and food spoilage. Also wash the drip-pan behind the toe grid. Adjust the leveling lugs so door will tend to close if left ajar. Utilize energy saving switches on models so equipped.

Freezers are also substantial users of energy because they must be maintained at 0 °F. Ways to cut back energy use of your freezer are much the same as those of your refrigerator. The freezer will operate most efficiently when filled to near capacity. With a full freezer you lose less cold air when the door is opened, and the frozen foods help keep one another frozen. Do not overload, as this prevents air from circulating freely around the foods. Label packages for easy identification and quick selection so the door can be closed immediately. Don't add too much unfrozen food at one time, as this will raise the interior temperature, and foods added will not freeze quickly. Overloading slows the rate of freezing. Don't add more than two to three pounds for each cubic foot of freezer space. Use moisture/vapor-proof freezer wrap to prevent moisture evaporating from the food and forming frost on the freezer walls. The bigger the unit the more energy it uses. Select a freezer no larger that what your life style requires. Plan to defrost when contents of freezer are low. Remaining foods should be kept frozen.

COOKING APPLIANCES

Cooking appliances afford an opportunity to conserve energy. Use them as directed in the instruction book. Always use reliable recipes. To avoid overcooking, set a minute timer for the shorter time suggested in a recipe. Cooking time can be extended if needed.

Use the electric unit or gas burner that best fits the cooking utensil. Use pans with flat bottoms, straight sides and tight-fitting lids so lower heat settings can be used. Use a pressure cooker to shorten cooking time.  Drip pans should be bright and clean to reflect heat onto utensil bottoms. Arrange oven racks and determine size and placement of pans before preheating oven. If pre-heating is necessary, place food in oven as soon as pre-heating is complete. An oven will pre-heat to any desired temperature in 10 minutes or less. Consider cooking several foods in the oven at the same temperature and cooking time. Place pans to clear all sides of the oven and other pans by one inch. To allow heat to circulate when using two shelves, arrange pans so one will not be directly over the other. Be sure to use aluminum foil properly. It must not block heat circulation. Foil placed directly under the pan reflects heat away. It's better to place foil on the next lower rack to catch spills. Do not be an oven "peeker." Each time the oven door is opened the temperature drops. Convection ovens have a built-in blower to bombard the food with recirculating air—making it cook faster and more evenly at a lower temperature than a conventional gas or electric oven.


Microwave Ovens:
The advantages include energy efficiency, cooking speed, time savings and ease of cleaning. Energy efficiency may vary depending upon the quantity and type of foods used as well as your cooking habits. A small family using a microwave oven for most reheating and cooking, may find energy savings to be substantial Cooking speeds of a few typical foods:

Microwave ovens are time savers because foods can be cooked in the serving dish, and frozen foods and leftovers can be defrosted quickly. They also provide baking shortcuts such as melting chocolate and softening butter. The oven and utensils are easy to clean because food doesn't bake on. Microwaves are a form of high frequency radio waves. They bounce off the oven lining and are absorbed by the food. Microwaves cause the molecules in the food to vibrate, creating friction. This friction produces heat in the food which makes the food actually cook itself. Ranges with microwave and conventional ovens are recent innovations. In some, the microwave and conventional ovens are in separate cavities while in others they are in the same cavity. In either case, there is a potential energy savings, depending on their use.

Portable Cooking Appliances

Because small cooking appliances have enclosed heating elements, they often require less energy for a cooking job than the oven or surface units. Frying pans, grills, broilers, waffle irons, popcorn poppers, toasters, coffee makers, etc. use less energy than a range and do the same job. Expand your menus to include stews prepared in the slow cooker crockpots and single-dish meals made in the temperature-controlled electric skillet. These meals require far less energy than those calling for the use of the oven plus two or three surface units. Read labels carefully when buying portable appliances. Look for ones that are versatile and easy to care for. Look for durability and repairability. Making the right choice the first time can save money in the long run. Good habits save energy. Turn off controls or unplug appliances after each use. For example, unplug your coffee maker after breakfast instead of keeping a few remaining cups warm all day. Turn off appliances such as the blender or mixer when interrupted by the telephone or doorbell. Keep all appliances clean and in good working order. Above all, read the manufacturer's operating instructions and follow them carefully.

DISHWASHERS

Dishwashers use both electricity and hot water. Operate your dishwasher properly to use energy efficiently. Load dishwasher to its full capacity. Usually, all breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes can be washed in one load at the end of the day. Load dishwasher according to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not block detergent dispenser or spray arms with dishes or utensils so that water and detergent can circulate properly. Soiled surfaces should face washing action. Scrape large food particles from dishes before loading. If pre-rinsing is needed, use cold water. Check filter screen often and keep it clean. This prevents redeposit of food soil on dishes and also maintains efficient operation of the machine. Use the proper amount of detergent for best results. Too little will not clean properly, too much will leave spots. Always use automatic dishwasher detergents. Add detergent to dispenser just before using. Store the detergent in a cool, dry place to prevent caking.

The water temperature should be 140 °F. Less energy is used if the drying cycle is eliminated. Turn dishwasher off when the wash and rinse cycles are completed and let the dishes air dry.