Other Household Appliances
Miscellaneous energy uses, such as household appliances, can account for a significant portion of the energy use in your home. Here are some places to find energy savings and what to look for.
Cooking
Use the right tool for the job. Using a full-size oven is not always necessary. Smaller appliances can get the job done for less, especially when cooking smaller meals. The chart below shows several methods of cooking the same meal and the energy consumed by comparison.
|
Appliance |
Temperature |
Cooking Time |
Energy Use |
| Electric Oven | 177°C (350°F ) | 1 Hour | 2.0 kWh |
| Convection Oven | 163°C (325°F) | 45 Minutes | 1.39 kWh |
| Toaster Oven | 232°C (450°F) | 50 Minutes | .95 kWh |
| Crockpot | 93°C (200°F) | 7 Hours | .7 kWh |
| Microwave Oven | "High" | 15 Minutes | .36 kWh |
General Tips
- If possible, use a pressure cooker. By using steam pressure, it cooks at a higher temperature and reduces cooking time.
- Keep pots and pans covered. Water boils faster and foods cook more quickly.
- Use the smallest pot or pan necessary. Smaller pans require less energy.
- Match the pan size to the element size. For instance, a 15 cm (6 inch) pan on a 20 cm (8 inch) element will waste 40% of the energy produced by the element.
- Use reflective burner (drip) pans. Reflective burner pans under the elements reflect heat up toward the cooking surface. Always keep the burner pans clean and shiny.
- Use flat-bottomed cookware. Burner elements are significantly less efficient if the pan does not have good contact with the element.
- Preheat ovens only when required. Except for baking, most foods can be cooked without preheating.
- No peeking. Sneak previews are energy wasters. Each time you open the oven door a significant amount of heat escapes. Use your oven light and look through the window instead.
- Don't line oven racks with foil. Foods cook more quickly and evenly when air circulates freely. Stagger pans on upper and lower racks.
- Bake in glass or ceramic cookware. You can turn the temperature down by 14°C (25°F) and foods will cook in the same time.
- Use timers and meat thermometers to avoid overcooking. Not only does overcooking ruin the meal, it wastes energy as well.
- Turn the stove or oven off before cooking is done. A burner element can be turned off just before cooking is done; it will remain hot for a short time. Ovens can be turned off 15 – 20 minutes before done.
- Use the self-cleaning feature after you've cooked a meal. The oven will still be hot, and this feature will require less energy than if you start with a cold oven.
- For microwave ovens, keep the inside surface clean to promote efficient cooking.
- Use small appliances such as a microwave, slow-cooker or toaster oven instead of the range or wall oven when possible.
- Avoid using the microwave to defrost food. Instead, thaw it in the fridge. This is safer than leaving food on the counter top and it contributes to the fridge's cooling.
- Keep pre-heating to a minimum and keep the oven door closed during use. Twenty per cent of the heat is lost each time you open the oven door.
Dishwashing
Depending on how you wash dishes by hand, you could actually save money by using a dishwasher. Eighty per cent of the energy used by a dishwasher goes toward water heating. Older dishwashers use 30 – 53 litres (6 – 11 gallons) of water. Newer models (after 1994) use 20 – 38 litres (4 – 8 gallons). Washing at the sink, two or three times a day could use much more water.
General Tips
- A dishwasher with a booster heater allows you to maintain a lower water heater temperature. Some dishwasher models have built-in heaters to boost the water temperature to recommended levels 60° – 63°C (140° – 145°F). Some dishwashers preheat water automatically, while others require you to pre-select this feature. The benefit of this feature is that you are heating only the water required to wash with, instead of keeping your water heater temperature high. Each 5.5°C (10°F) reduction in water heating temperature setting can result in 3% – 5% reduction of energy consumption for water heating.
- Use energy-saving wash cycles. Most dishwashers have various wash cycles you can select. The energy-saving feature allows you to use less water on dishes that are less soiled.
- Use the "No-heat" dry feature. Most dishwashers have a built-in heating element to bake dishes dry. The "No-heat" dry feature circulates room air through the dishwasher by fans. If your dishwasher does not have this feature, turn the dishwasher off after the final rinse and open the door to air dry.
- Try not to position your dishwasher next to the refrigerator. The heat produced by the dishwasher will cause your refrigerator to work harder.
- Don't pre-rinse dishes. Most newer dishwashers don't require a pre-rinse. Scrape food, and empty liquids. If you must pre-rinse, use cold water.
- Wash only full loads. The dishwasher will use the same amount of water if it is half empty or completely full.
- Load dishes according to manufacturer's directions. This will allow for optimum performance.
- Air-dry dishes in the dishwasher or use the economy setting.
- Use only cold water when running your garbage disposal. This saves hot water and solidifies grease, which is then ground up and washed down the drain.
Clothes Washing
Water heating accounts for 90% of the energy consumption of washing machines. The single most important consideration for reducing the energy consumption of your washer is to wash in cold water. Even more than dishwashers, saving energy with washing machines means lowering water temperature. But, unlike dishwashers, washing machines are capable of cleaning with great results in cooler water temperatures.
Washer Consumption/Electric Hot Water
|
Wash/Rinse Settings |
Energy Use Per Load |
| Hot/Hot | 6.5 kWh |
| Hot/Warm | 4.9 kWh |
| Hot/Cold | 4.3 kWh |
| Warm/Warm | 3.4 kWh |
| Warm/Cold | 1.9 kWh |
| Cold/Cold | 0.4 kWh |
General Tips
- Load the washer to capacity when possible. Most people tend to underload their washing machines. One large load of laundry will use less energy than two small or medium loads.
- Match the water level to size of the load. When you don't have a full load, use the appropriate water level setting.
Clothes Drying
General Tips
- Separate clothes for drying purposes. Lightweight synthetics dry much faster than bath towels or natural fibre materials such as denim.
- Don't over-dry clothes. Take clothes out while they are still slightly damp. This will reduce the need for ironing. Over-drying also causes shrinkage, static electricity, and shortens fabric life. Use the moisture sensor feature, if you have one.
- Don't add wet items to a load that is partially dry. This will cause the dryer to run longer.
- Dry full loads when possible. Drying small loads wastes energy.
- Clean the lint trap after each load. A clogged lint trap will reduce air flow and reduce dryer performance.
- Check the vent to the outside. Proper ventilation is important for the proper operation of your dryer. Keep it clean and free from obstruction.
- Hang clothes outdoors. In good weather, take advantage of the sun... it's free. (But don't hang a lot of wet laundry indoors, as this can cause moisture problems.)
- Clean the lint trap in the clothes dryer after each load.
Portable Space Heaters
In general, portable space heaters are a bad idea. Besides being very costly to operate, they represent a serious safety hazard to you and your family. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 120,000 residential fires occur annually (22% of all residential fires) from the use of supplemental heaters. About half of the deaths and one-third of the injuries resulting from electric heater fires occurred at night when family members are asleep.
Electric blankets offer a safer, more affordable alternative. A single electric space heater can consume approximately 1500 kWh in an average year. By comparison, an electric blanket consumes only about 150 kWh in an average year.
Waterbeds
Most waterbeds are heated by electric coils underneath the mattress. The average waterbed heater uses about 900 kWh a year (about $52).
General Tips
- Regularly making the bed with a comforter can save more than 30%. Insulating the sides of the bed can save an additional 10%.
- If you have a temperature control-keep it turned down. If you don't have a temperature control, consider using a timer.
- By purchasing an insulating mattress cover you can save even more. In many cases, using a heater is not even necessary with an insulating mattress cover.
