posted by Ideas on Uncategorized

Home appliances are considered as some of the energy monsters that lurk on every corner of the house. Appliances that make use of heating and cooling mechanisms are usually the culprits behind mounting electric bills.

Admittedly, home appliances are highly valuable in terms of making household chores easier to do; unfortunately, the price of convenience is too high, and the environment is the one paying for it.

Although it would be virtually impossible nowadays not to use home appliances, the least you can do is use them properly and efficiently so you can save energy and also help protect environmental resources.

• Cook with the lid on. Cooking with the lid on uses heat more efficiently, so you can cook your food in the lowest heat setting, and thus use less energy. This also applies to gas ranges and achieves the same result.
• Choose the right size of pots when cooking. This maximizes surface contact and allows the heat of the electric stove to efficiently disperse.
• Make use of your oven toaster for small cooking jobs. A toaster heats up 50% faster than conventional ovens.
• Unplug all appliances when not in use.
• Fridges are energy sharks. Place your refrigerator in a cool dry corner of your kitchen and away from direct sunlight. Keep your fridge on the recommended temperature settings, which is about 37^{0/sup>0F and your freezer at 5sup>0}F. Don’t forget to defrost when the ice reaches a quarter of an inch in thickness.
• When using your washer, use cold water rather than warm water. Heating the water alone consumes 50% more energy than simply using cold water for washing. Likewise, even dishwashers can save you 25% less energy when used with cold water since appliances with heating elements are noted to be the worst energy consuming features. Also, instead of using the heater from your dishwasher to dry out your dish, open the compartment lid to allow it to air dry.
• Place your room air conditioner in a shaded part of the house. A shade of tree to cover the air-conditioning external unit will require less energy for the compressor to work than units exposed in direct sunlight.
• Make use of drapes and thick curtains to keep your rooms cooler during summer. A perfectly placed ceiling fan will help circulate the cold air in any room. If it is really warm, a small portable air conditioner may be enough to cool smaller rooms.
• Regularly change and clean your air-conditioner filter. This will allow more airflow even when you put your appliance in its lower coolness settings.
• Turn the temperature up once the room is cool and comfortable enough to minimize electric consumption with your air conditioning unit.
• Look for Energy Star certified appliances when planning to buy replacement for old worn out appliances. The Energy Star label is an assurance that your unit will use 27% less energy than its competitor or counterpart.

By being conscientious about your usage of home appliances, you can enjoy your appliances and feel comfortable without thinking too much about your next shocking electricity bill.

posted by Ideas on Uncategorized

Energy saving and green living is one of the main issues that every single consumer should pay attention to nowadays, mainly because of the rising threat of global warming and economic depreciation. In response to these issues, home appliances that are being manufactured today already have special features and use special materials so they can function more efficiently. It is therefore up to the consumers to maximize the efficiency of these appliances, especially laundry machines, so they can contribute to the green movement.

Here are some tips on making your everyday laundry chores more cost-effective to help lessen your carbon footprint in the home.

• Do laundry in full loads. The energy used by your washers and dryers is the same whether you are washing a full load or a partial load. In fact, it is more cost-effective to just do a full load as you will also save in water and detergent.
• Try using clothesline or rack dryers instead of clothes dryers so you won’t have to use electricity to dry your clothes. If you prefer to use a dryer, look for one with moisture sensor, which shuts down the dryer automatically when the clothes are fully dry.
• Look for Energy Star qualified washers, which consume 37% less electricity than standard models.
• Separate clothes before washing and drying. Sorting clothes of the same fabric and grouping them will lessen your washing and drying time because clothes with the same fibers will dry out at the same phase and time. When you mix different cloth fibers in the dryer, the drying time will follow that of the longer drying cloth.
• Regularly checking your washer and dryer will help maintain their shortest optimum washing and drying times. Always clean your dryer’s lint filters after using, and check your dryer vent to ensure proper airflow. Check your vent hose and make sure it is unblocked.
• Switch to cool down phase halfway through the drying time. Residual heat from your dryer can already finish the job.
• Read the manual enclosed with your washer and dryer to fully understand and maximize the use of your home appliances.
• Use eco-friendly detergent; to identify them, check the label and look for the words ‘bio-friendly’ and ‘phosphate free’. These are made from plants and vegetables, unlike conventional detergents, which consist of petroleum base and phosphate and thus increase the risk of environmental degradation.

The steps mentioned above will help lessen your expenses in washing and drying your clothes and will also help save the environment. Now you can do your part for the planet while saving some extra bucks.