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Home Appliance Tips for Renters
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Clothes Washers and Dryers
Wash in
cold water. Water heating consumes about 90% of the energy
it takes to operate a clothes washer. Switching your temperature setting from
hot to warm can cut energy use in half. Using the cold cycle reduces energy use
even more.
Adjust the water level
for your load size.
Don’t overload your machine.
Overloading will consume more electricity as the motor strains to move the
excess clothing.
Fill it up. Clothes
washers use about the same amount of energy regardless of the size of the load,
so run full loads whenever possible.
Activate the high spin speed option.
If your clothes washer has spin options, choose a high spin speed or the
extended spin option to reduce the amount of remaining moisture in your clothes
after washing. This decreases the amount of time it takes to dry your clothes.
Balance your loads
before starting the cycle. A washer that consistently gets out of balance often
wastes water and electricity.
Leave the door open after use.
Front-loading washers use airtight seals to prevent water
from leaking while the machine is in use. When the machine is not in use, this
seal can trap moisture in the machine and lead to mold. Leave the door ajar for
an hour or two after use to allow moisture to evaporate.
Avoid the sanitary cycle.
This super hot cycle, available on some models, increases energy use
significantly. Only use it when absolutely necessary.
If your dryer has a setting for
auto-dry, be sure to use it. You’ll avoid wasting energy and
over-drying, which can cause clothing shrinkage, generate static electricity
and shorten the life of your clothes.
Clean the lint filter after every load to improve air circulation
and avoid a potential fire hazard.
Use the cool-down
cycle to allow your clothing to finish drying with the
residual heat in the dryer.
Inspect and clean your dryer vent
regularly to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy
and prevent a fire.
Make sure your washing machine has
completed its cycle before you move the clothes into the dryer.
Removing clothes that have not been spun completely may overload the dryer and cause it to malfunction.
Don’t overload your dryer.
Placing too many clothes in the dryer can double or triple drying time.
Consider air-drying
clothes on clothes lines or drying racks.
Kitchen Appliances
Cook everything at once and use pots
that fit the burners. Let food cool before putting it in the
refrigerator.
Keep range-top burners and reflectors
clean. They will reflect the heat better, and you will save
energy.
Use small electric pans or toaster
ovens for small meals rather than your large stove or oven. A
toaster oven uses a third to half as much energy as a full-sized oven. Use
pressure cookers and microwave ovens whenever it is convenient to do so. They
will save energy by significantly reducing cooking time.
Shorten cook times.
When operating an electric oven, attempt to cook as much of the meal in it at
one time as possible. Foods with different cooking temperatures can often be
cooked simultaneously at one temperature-variation of 25 degrees in either
direction still produce good results and save energy.
Preheat for five to eight minutes.
When preheating an oven for baking, five to eight minutes should be sufficient.
There is no need to preheat for broiling or roasting.
Run only full loads in the dishwasher
and scrape dishes with cold water.
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Learn more at VectrenLiveSmart.com
Click here to learn about simple changes you can make while doing laundry that save energy and money.
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Refrigerators and Freezers
Keep cold air in. Open
the fridge door as infrequently as possible.
Keep it full. An
empty fridge cycles frequently without any mass to hold the cold. If your
fridge isn’t normally full, fill it with plain water in old milk jugs.
Clean the coils. Move
your fridge out from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils at least once per
year. Note: On some models, the coils are under the unit.
Check the temperature.
A fridge that is 10 degrees colder than necessary can use 25% more energy. Keep the temperature between 35 and 38
degrees.
Allow hot foods to cool
before refrigerating or freezing.
Check your door seals.
To find out if your seals are airtight, close the door on a piece of paper and
try to pull it out. If the paper slides out easily, cold air is escaping and
increasing your electric bill.
Defrost the freezer
before frost gets to 1/4 inch.
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Learn more at VectrenLiveSmart.com
Click here to learn how you can ensure your refrigerator is operating efficiently.
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Lighting and Electronics
Turn off lights in any room not being
used, even if your absence will only be momentary. For the
outdoors, turn on lights only when needed.
Keep bulbs and fixtures clean.
Dirt and dust reduce light output and efficiency. For safety reasons, don't
clean bulbs and fixtures when they're hot or plugged in.
Use CFLs. Switch from
regular incandescent light bulbs to energy-saving compact fluorescent light
bulbs. According to manufacturers’ estimates, they use up to 70 percent less
energy and last up to 10 times longer. (You can switch the bulbs back when it’s
time to move and take the CFLs with you.)
Turn off your computer when it's not
being used. It’s a myth that leaving a computer on will extend
its life. When you’re done using it, turn it off. Same goes for televisions,
stereos and other equipment.
Vectren does not endorse any particular product or wholesaler.
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Learn more at VectrenLiveSmart.com
Watch a short video that explains how to prevent phantom loads from adding to your energy bill.
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Energy Saver Profiles
