Applying Appliance Efficiency
Old habits die hard, especially around the house. But pay attention to the technology advancements of modern appliances and you can save time, energy and dollars on your power bill.
One example is the improved efficiency of today’s ovens. In many cases, there’s no need to preheat excessively; place your food in the oven immediately. For added savings, turn the oven off a few minutes before cooking time is up and keep your food in the oven to take advantage of residual heat during the cool down phase.
Also take time to consider the size of the meal you’re preparing. If it fits into a toaster oven instead of a full-sized one, you can cut back on energy consumption by roughly two-thirds and still have a well-cooked meal.
When dining is over, resist the temptation to wash dishes by hand or to rinse before placing items in the dishwasher. You can save time and water and wind up with clean dishes just the same. The average dishwashing machine load uses half the energy, one sixth of the water and less soap than highly efficient handwashing. Modern units use about half the amount of previous generations’ and generally get dishes cleaner as well.
Finally, whenever practical, get in the habit of unplugging your appliances and other electronics. Some devices can use up to 40% of their full running power when left on standby.