Introducing Energy Saving Appliances

By: Ryan Narendra

Many means are becoming available to conserve energy, have less impact on the environment and reduce electric bills. Regardless of your motivation, energy saving appliances is an excellent step that any home owner should take.

Roughly speaking, there are two costs associated with any appliance. The first are those paid up front in its purchase and installation. The second less obvious cost is paid throughout the device's operational lifetime and involves the utilities it consumes.

Many household appliances consume large amounts of electricity and other utilities. As such, their operating costs are larger than you may imagine, perhaps even larger than those paid up front. With an estimated 14% of a home's energy used for powering appliances, the potential to conserve energy is quite significant in this area.

Refrigerators are one of the largest potential efficiency boosts, as they are always in use. In addition to purchasing a more efficient model, great savings can be had by choosing a size that meets your needs. Even a more efficient model wastes power if it cools more space than you require. On the other hand, smaller models can be over capacity, and as such will cool less efficiently.

Dishwashers are another potential area for conserving. Roughly 80% of the energy used in dishwashers is spent heating water, so the main criterion for efficiency is how much water the unit must heat. Another useful energy-saving feature is a switch to disable heat for drying your dishes. While air drying takes longer, it is just as effective and conserves plenty of energy besides.

Electric ranges offer some potential for energy conservation. One helpful tip is to choose self-cleaning ovens where possible, as these are somewhat more insulated than those requiring manual cleansing. Cook tops are another key factor, with conventional burners requiring more energy than newer do induction or halogen methods.

Washing and drying clothes are the final major area in which potential savings can be had, with massive differences between the most inefficient and most efficient units in either category. In general, front-loading washers are more efficient than top-loading models, and as is true with dishwashing, most of the energy is used heating water. As such, using cold cycles whenever possible is a great way to improve the efficiency of the process. Energy efficiency in dryers is achieved by purchasing units with sensors that detect when clothing is dry and automatically deactivate the unit without completing the cycle. Timers, while prevalent, are very inefficient in this respect as they require you to estimate how long clothes will take to dry.

There are other factors to consider when purchasing energy efficient appliances. Chief among these is that appliances designed for energy efficiency are often designed better overall. They will not only last longer than their inefficient competition, and reduce your electric bill, but will also damage fabrics and dishes less over years of sustained use. Most important, though, is that these appliances are being used by you. Using appliances smartly can make even inefficient appliances perform better, as well as making energy efficient appliances work like a dream.

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Energy Saving Appliances

energy saving appliance

Introducing Energy Saving Appliances

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