Best Ways to Save Money with Energy Efficient Appliances

Energy Star Rated Appliances

EnergyStar-rated appliances deliver tremendous environmental benefits and cost savings. Year after year, appliance manufacturers are making products more efficient, saving you money and reducing their impact on the environment. Your utility company wants you to get rid of old energy-hogging appliances. If your old appliances are energy-star rated, consider donating them to benefit a local family or business in need. Check with your local utility company. Some utility companies offer haul-away rebates, credits and even accept donations. If your appliances are more than ten years old and still working, replacing them could be worth the investment in the long run.

The energy star label can identify ENERGY STAR ® products. This label will tell you a product's energy consumption and an approximate cost for your utility bills.

How to Read the EnergyGuide Label

If you’re shopping for a new appliance, it’s important to make sure you look for the EnergyGuide label. That’s the yellow tag you’ll find attached to most appliances letting you know how much energy an appliance uses. The more energy-efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run, and the lower your utility bills might be. By using less energy, you can help reduce air pollution and conserve natural resources.

In the center of the EnergyGuide label, you will find the estimated yearly operating cost. This way, you can estimate how much you might pay to run the appliance for a year based on its electricity use and the national average cost of energy. The cost appears on labels for all models and brands so that you can compare energy use just like the price of other features.

If you see the Energy Star logo, it means the product is better for the environment because it uses less energy than a standard model.

Check out the most popular EnergyStar-certified products: clothes washers, dryers, air conditioners, refrigerators, and dishwashers. These appliances earned the energy star because they give you the option to use less energy at home.

Switching to an energy-efficient washing machine can make a huge difference. Over the last 20 years, appliance manufacturers have offered the same cleaning performance while also saving you time and money.

To use a front loading washing machine, you need to buy high-efficiency or HE detergent. Look for the HE label on the detergent bottle. When using HE laundry soap, you only need to use a tiny bit, about 2 tbsp, for a normal full-size load. You will get the same effective cleaning performance, and you won't have to buy that big bottle of detergent as often. Buying less liquid detergent will also improve the environment, as you are going through less soap and fewer plastic containers.

New washing machines are smarter than ever. Smart-dispensing washing machines take the guesswork out of adding soap to your washer cycle. Preload high-efficiency detergent and let your washer do the rest. It's almost certain that your smart dispenser will help you conserve laundry soap and protect the health of your machine. If you are interested in this feature, look for Whirlpool Load & Go ™, Maytag Optimal Dose Dispenser, or GE SmartDispense™washing machines.

An old top-loading washing machine uses three times more water than a high-efficiency front-loading washing machine. High-efficiency front-loading washers also offer the fastest spin speeds, essentially wringing the water out of your clothes at the end of the cycle. Spinning excess water out of your clothes is essential because your dryer will have less work to do.

Most high-efficiency washing machines are load sensing, meaning that your washer can detect how much a load weighs and will adjust the cycle duration and washer drum movement to best clean your clothes. Most dryers are moisture sensing, meaning that your dryer can detect when your clothes are dry and will power down the cycle.

Energy-efficient clothes dryers work best when paired with an energy-efficient washer with a fast spin speed. Since your dryer will have less work to do, your cycle time will be shorter. Many new dryers offer reduced energy options. This option uses less heat which will reduce energy consumption and prolong the life of your clothes.

Opting for a smart or Wi-fi-connected washing machine or clothes dryer can also save you money. You can schedule some smart washing machines to run a cycle when the utility cost is least expensive.

We should take better care of our clothes. Clothes are expensive. Shopping for fast fashion can be time-consuming and wasteful. Care for your favorite garments the right way with a smart washing machine and dryer. Wifi-connected washers and dryers give you more options to customize your laundry experience. You can choose from a wide assortment of cycles to best care for your clothes.

Energy-Efficient Air Conditioners

Air conditioners are essential for many consumers. Air conditioners provide a more comfortable living environment, better air quality, and humidity control. Running an air conditioner can be expensive. Energy-efficient air conditioners offer an option to reduce power consumption at times when you're sleeping or out of your home.

You might want to consider a smart or Wi-fi-connected air conditioner that you can control from your smartphone or tablet. This way, you can operate your air conditioner remotely and get your space to a comfortable temperature before you arrive home.

To use the Wi-fi-enabled features on your new air conditioner, follow the directions that come with the product. You might need to download an app where you'll enter your model and serial number. Once your product is registered, you'll gain the benefits of remote control, monitoring, and even service.

Energy-Efficient Refrigerators

Refrigerators are extremely important for any kitchen. They are responsible for keeping your food fresh. Switching to an energy-efficient refrigerator can save you a lot of money. Opting for a refrigerator with an energy saver mode, vacation mode, or even a sabbath mode can reduce operating costs over time. If you don't use ice from your refrigerator, you can turn off your refrigerator's ice maker to save energy or use traditional ice trays.

More advanced refrigerators have dedicated temperature zones where you can set the optimal refrigerator temperature for the items you're storing. This way, you don't use too much or too little power.

You can operate your smart refrigerator from your phone. Not only will you be able to detect a problem, should one arise, but you'll be able to adjust the temperature on your refrigerator from your smart device or speaker.

Nearly every refrigerator out there is designed for food preservation. New smart refrigerators are tackling the issue of food waste. Consumers waste thousands of dollars each year on forgotten ingredients. Most food waste is the product of disorganization and simply not knowing what to cook.

The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator is not only a media center, photo montage, and calendar, but it can track expiration dates on food items. Not only will you know what groceries you need to buy, but which items you need to use before they spoil. You can even research recipes that use these ingredients and send the instructions right to your smart oven.

Energy-Efficient Dishwashers

Energy-efficient dishwashers use less energy and water than ever before.

Most new dishwashers use less than 7 gallons per cycle, less water than if you hand wash your dishes. Some of the more advanced dishwashers have a sensor that can determine how soiled the dishes are and will run until the dishwasher can no longer sense food particles on your plates.

DID YOU KNOW?

Using the air-dry setting on your dishwasher can reduce your dishwasher's energy from 15 to 50%!

European-style dishwasher brands like Bosch, Miele, and LG offer condensation drying. Condensation drying dishwashers use evaporation to dry your dishes instead of a traditional heating element. Many dishwashers offer an eco-cycle, a longer cycle that recycles water. An eco-cycle is a great option if you run your dishwasher at night.

Like washing machines, you can schedule your dishwasher to operate when utility costs are lowest, as an added cost savings.

Many energy-efficient dishwashers have a filter at the bottom of the dishwasher instead of a food grinder. This filter catches loose food particles and doesn't use electricity or moving parts.

Although cooking appliances like ranges and wall ovens don't yet have an energy star rating, you can still save money and electricity. Your oven might even have an energy saver mode. This mode essentially shuts off the oven heating element early, allowing the residual hot air in the oven to finish cooking your food. Although using this mode might extend your bake time slightly, the percent less energy will add up over time.

Smart appliances can do more than cook. Your cooking appliance is considered "smart" if it connects to wi-fi. From your phone or home automation device, you will be able to adjust the temperature or monitor cooking progress. Your smart cooking appliance will be your sous-chef, providing guard rails against failure in the kitchen.

No two households cook the same. Many cooking appliances such as stoves or wall ovens have many new smart features. Not only will these features help you explore many new recipes, but they can customize recipes to fit your family's size and dietary preferences.

How can this help you save money and the environment? You will be able to create delicious meals to perfection that everyone will enjoy. This means fewer overcooked meals, less wasted food, and more happy family members.

Final Thoughts

Upgrading your appliances is a great investment for your family and your future. Protect your favorite clothes and use less water with a new high-efficiency washing machine. Schedule your air conditioner to keep you comfortable and save energy when you’re not home, and use your smart refrigerator and cooking appliances intelligently to reduce food waste. With smart energy-efficient appliances, you will have a better cooking experience, minimize your environmental impact, and save money.