This article “A guide to energy savings: Laundry Room
edition” saw first print on saveonenergy.com
By Caitlin Cosper |
You can’t stop doing laundry, so how can you make sure your
laundry room isn’t costing you too much each month? SaveOnEnergy® is here with
tips and tricks to help your laundry room run efficiently while still keeping
your clothes fresh and clean.
Energy Star-certified laundry models
As is the case with most of the other appliances in your
home, one of the quickest ways to reduce the amount of energy you use while
doing laundry is investing in Energy Star-certified appliances.
According to Energy.gov, Energy Star washers use 35 percent less
water and 20 percent less energy than traditional washing machines. As for
dryers, models with the Energy Star certification consume 20 percent less
energy than other models.
So, how much could an Energy Star washer and dryer save you?
On average, Energy Star-certified washing machines could cost about $35 less on your utility bills each year than a
standard model. And an Energy Star dryer would save you $215 over the span of the dryer’s lifetime.
The size of your laundry loads
When you decide to run your washer and dryer could determine
how much energy you consume doing laundry. On laundry day, consider the size of
your loads of clothes. Only run your washer when you have a full load of
laundry. Your washer will use the same amount of energy for a full load as it would
for a single sock, so don’t waste your electricity when you don’t need to.
You should also think about how many clothes you stuff into
your dryer before running it. If your dryer is too full, it will take longer to
fully dry your clothes. What’s more, loads that are too small also take longer
to dry. Remember to avoid overfilling or underfilling your dryer.
One final way to reduce your laundry day energy consumption
is by switching your loads of laundry while the dryer is still warm. We know
this can be tricky – it’s easy to leave those athletic clothes in the dryer for
a few days, right? But if you flip the laundry while the dryer is still warm,
your dryer won’t have to work as hard to reheat itself for
the next load.
Water temperature
Heating water makes up about 18 percent of the average home’s energy usage. As
for your washing machine, about 90 percent of its electricity goes toward
heating up water. By washing your clothes in cold water, you can cut the amount of energy you spend on laundry in
half.
By some estimates, running your washing machine on a hot or
warm cycle will cost about $0.68 per load. But running it on a cold cycle will
cost only $0.04 for each load. If you factor in how many loads the average
household runs each week, these savings can add up quickly.
Clean the lint filter
Keeping your dryer’s lint filter clean will not only prevent
a fire hazard, but can also ensure your dryer is running as efficiently as
possible. Depending on the level of lint buildup, forgetting to clean the
filter could cut your dryer’s efficiency by 75 percent.
Letting the lint take over your dryer filter can also cut
down on the device’s lifespan. Remember to clean the lint
filter before or after every load of laundry you run to ensure your dryer is
running as best as it can.
Use your dryer’s moisture sensor
Most current dryer models come with a moisture sensor
setting, which will automatically shut the machine off when it senses that the
clothes are dry. When you run your dryer on a timer, you can expose your
clothes to too much heat and use more energy than necessary.
Curious about how to save energy in other rooms of your
home? Here are our previous installments of this SaveOnEnergy series:
- Energy savings in your home office
- Energy savings in your bathroom
- Energy savings in your living room
- Energy savings in your bedroom
- Energy savings in your kitchen
Caitlin Cosper is a writer within the energy and power
industry. Born in Georgia, she attended the University of Georgia before
earning her master’s in English at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte.
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