Little Ways to Conserve Electricity and Save Money
Refrigerator
Reduce the number of times you open the fridge. When you need to get dinner ready, get all the ingredients at once. Every time you open the door, it takes energy to get the temperature back down. Have the fridge full – the items will keep each other cold and reduce the air space the fridge has to keep cool. Cover all liquids before putting them in the fridge – the vapors can overwork the compressor. Keep the coils clean by vacuuming them periodically (every couple months or so). Dust build-up can make the fridge work harder than usual. Consider buying a new unit. Ones that are 10+ years old could use 40% or more energy than new, energy-saving models. Periodically check the seal around the doors. Air leaking out can increase the energy usage by 20%. If a dollar bill slips out of the seal easily, it needs to be replaced. The placement of the unit can also affect the energy consumption. Direct sunlight consistently shining on the refrigerator can lead to more energy being used.
Range/Oven
Be more efficient is business electricity price comparison working now when cooking by keeping the lids on pots and pans and lowering the temperature. Cook as many things in the oven at the same time as possible to save energy. Use the oven light – opening the oven to peek at the food will reduce the temperature by as much as 50 degrees each time. Use the microwave for smaller jobs when necessary, it uses less than half the power of the oven. When self-cleaning, start the oven on the cycle immediately following a cooking job – the oven will not need to warm itself up all over again. Boil as little water as possible to do the job on the stove, it takes more energy to boil a greater amount of liquid. When shopping for a new oven/stove, consider a convection or combination oven, they can use 30% less energy over their lifetime.
Dishwasher
Fill the dishwasher completely for all wash cycles. Clear off the food before putting the dishes in, more dirt equals more work to get them clean. Avoid soaking or “pre-washing” the dishes, it uses almost 50% more energy than just washing them once. If you are looking to replace your old dishwasher, think about getting one with an internal booster heater, they allow you to set the home’s water heater lower and save energy that way.
