Appliance Energy Efficiency

Kitchen Appliance Efficiency

ENERGY STAR states that cooking products that are certified through them are, on average, 18% more efficient than other standard models. But what if you don’t have an ENERGY STAR certified stovetop, dishwasher, or refrigerator? There are still a few ways that the U.S. Department of Energy recommends for you to increase your appliance energy efficiency!

Stove, Range, and Oven Efficiency –

• Cover pots and pans while cooking to keep heat contained to your food and not the entire kitchen.
• Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean.
• Use toaster ovens, microwaves, or convection ovens when possible. They use about half the amount of energy as your full-sized oven!
• On a gas range, make sure any flames are blue and not yellow. If you see yellow flames, something may need some adjustments from Premier Appliance!

Top Energy Star Rated Stove & Range Brands: GE, Maytag, and Whirlpool

Dishwasher Efficiency –

• Fill the dishwasher completely with dishes rather than only doing a few pieces at a time.
• Scrape food off of your dishes rather than pre-rinsing (unless it’s absolutely necessary, like with burnt or dried-on food).
• Let your dishes air dry rather than letting the dishwasher dry them. You can turn off the control knob after the cycle’s final rinse and leave the dishwasher slightly open to allow for natural air flow.

Top Energy Star Rated Dishwasher Brands: Miele, Bosch, and LG

Refrigerator Efficiency – 

• Keep the refrigerator closed as much as possible. Seems silly, but this keeps the cool air inside and the warm air out!
• Keep the refrigerator temperature around 35 degrees to 38 degrees Fahrenheit for fresh food. Keep your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping your refrigerator or freezer too cold can lead to frost buildup and ruined food!
• Regularly defrost your refrigerator and freezer once any frost accumulates past one-quarter of an inch.

Top Energy Star Rated Refrigerator Brands: LG, Samsung, Whirlpool

How Much Energy Do Your Home Appliances Use?

Interested in finding out how much energy the appliances that you currently have in your home use? The U.S. Department of Energy has a calculator that you can use to track energy usage by appliance or electronic! All you need to know is the wattage, utility rate, and how often you use the item.

Laundry Appliance Efficiency

Do you wash your clothes at home? Do you know if your washer and dryer are ENERGY STAR certified? If so, you could be raking in the savings compared to those who do not have these types of appliances at home!

Washing Machine Efficiency –

According to ENERGY STAR, the average family in America washes 300 loads of laundry per year. With an energy efficient clothes washer, you can expect to use 20 percent less energy and about 30 percent less water than with a regular washing machine!

Here are some things to consider if you make the switch to a more energy conserving washing machine:

• Think about what size you’ll need. Do you typically wash a lot at once or do you run smaller loads? ENERGY STAR models come in many different shapes and sizes! (P.S., if you’re trying to decide whether to use a front load or top load washer, check out our blog on this topic to help you decide which is best for you!)
• Choose a model with a high Integrated Modified Energy Factor (IMEF). This is the measure of how much energy is used during each cycle, on standby, the energy used to heat water, etc. Washers with a higher IMEF are more energy efficient!
• Choose a model with a low Integrated Water Factor (IWF). The IWF measures water efficiency in gallons consumed per cubic foot of capacity. Lower IWF = more water efficiency!

Top Energy Star Rated Washing Machine Brands: LG, Electrolux, and GE

Clothes Dryer Efficiency –

Think back to the quick fact stated above about how many loads of laundry the average family in America does per year. Now, think about how much energy is used to dry all those clothes! Unless, of course, someone is still using the old hang-to-dry method. ENERGY STAR states that if all clothes dryers sold in the U.S. were certified through them, we could save over $1.5 billion per year in utility costs.

What do you need to look for in an ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryer? Let’s find out:

• Similar to your washing machine, you first want to consider how much laundry you do per week, and even per load.
• The energy efficiency that reflects energy usage in clothes dryers is called Combined Energy Factor (CEF). You will want a dryer with a high CEF!

Top Energy Star Rated Dryer Brands: LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool

Other Quick Ways to Ensure Energy Efficiency With Laundry Appliances:

• Use cold water whenever possible.
• Dry towels and heavy linens separately from your other, light weight linens and clothing.
• Clean your lint screen and periodically remove lint that collects below the lint screen slot with a long nozzle tip on a vacuum cleaner. This improves air circulation and prevents fire hazards.
• Consider air-drying clothes. This may be better for specific fabrics anyways.

If you are having issues with your kitchen or laundry appliances, no matter how old or new, click the link below to see how we can help you!

Looking for More Appliance Care Tips?

If you enjoyed this energy conservation information and want more information, check out these additional pages!

– Appliance Care
–Appliance Mythbusters
– Troubleshooting
– FAQ
– Blog