Appliances

Appliances are paid for in two ways. The first payment is the purchase price, which often puts a major dent in the household budget. The second payment is for the cost of operating the appliance during its lifetime. This bill is paid for 5, 10, even 20 years, further denting the budget of the average household.

Please shop for ENERGY STAR labels on your appliances. These labels signify that the appliance exceeds the minimum federal requirements (usually by a wide margin). Please refer to the standards on www.energystar.gov for further information on energy efficient appliances. P, G and E will offer rebates for the replacement of some old appliances. For more information, please go to http://www.pge.com/res/rebates/index.html for more information.

Carlton Homes can use our 40 years of construction experience to help you to select the best appliances for your needs. A few general tips are listed below to help you to save energy and money for each type of appliance.

Dishwashers

1. Be sure that your dishwasher is full (not overloaded) when you run it.
2. Don’t use the “rinse hold” setting on your dishwasher for only a few dishes. This will consume 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.
3. Let the dishes air dry. If your machine does not have an automatic air dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open so the dishes will dry faster.
4. Insist on an ENERGY STAR appliance when you replace your old dishwasher. You will save an average of 25% over the cost of a conventional appliance.

Refrigerators

1. Watch the temperature. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the fresh food compartment and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for the freezer. A separate freezer for long-term storage should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Make sure your door seals on the refrigerator and freezer are air tight. Test by putting a piece of paper in the door and closing it. If you can pull the paper out easily, the latch on the door or the seal may need adjustment or replacement.
3. Cover liquids and wrap up foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods and liquids release moisture and make the refrigerator work harder to maintain temperature.
4. When buying a new refrigerator, find one that is the right size for your household. Top freezer models are more energy-efficient than side-by-side models. Icemakers and water dispensers increase energy usage. Insist on the ENERGY STAR label when buying a new refrigerator.

Laundry

Almost the entire energy bill for washing clothes is for heating the water. Therefore, reducing your energy bill for washing clothes is dependent on using less water and less hot water. Just switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half.

1. Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible
2. Wash and dry full loads. If you must wash a small load, adjust the washer to the proper water level.
3. Dry towels and heavy clothing in a separate dryer load from light weight clothing.
4. Only dry your clothes as long as it takes to get them dry. Better yet, don’t use the dryer at all and air-dry your clothing.
5. Keep the lint filter in the dryer clean to keep the air circulating and make sure that the dryer is running efficiently.
6. Inspect your dryer vent to make sure that it is not blocked with lint. This will not only save energy, but it may prevent a fire. Use rigid venting material and avoid plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
7. When shopping for a clothes dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts the dryer down when clothes are dry. It will save wear and tear on your clothes as well as energy. (ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers because most of them use similar amounts of energy. There is little difference in energy use between models.)