Energy-saving appliance tips

The other day I found the diary I kept when I was 13. There were 37 exclamation points on each page. Why? I had a lot to exclaim about: Starting high school, making new friends, sprouting unfamiliar body parts.

I almost never use exclamation points anymore. I'm saving them up for when I really need them, like if I get shot in a freak accident, or I open my electric bill.

If you're nervous about what your home is going to cost to run this winter, you can minimize your energy consumption (and your use of short, unprintable words followed by exclamation points). Here are some tips:

Washing Machines

• Use hot or warm water only for really filthy clothes. Up to 90 percent of the cost of washing clothes comes from heating the water.

Clothes Dryers

• Clean the lint screen after each load. A dirty lint screen can cause your dryer to use up to 30 percent more energy. (Lint actually has a use; add it to your composter.)
• Keep you dryer's outside exhaust vent clean. A clogged exhaust lengthens drying time and increases energy use. If you discover a huge clog (i.e. a racoon), install a critter screen.
• If you're upgrading: If you're in the market for a new unit, get the world's leading energy-efficient clothes-dryer - a clothesline. (Even at freezing temperatures, moisture evaporates. If you don't believe me, try eating a piece of freezer-burned chicken.)

Stoves and Ovens

• Use a toaster oven or microwave to cook small to medium-sized meals. They use about 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens.
• Keep the door closed. Each time you open a hot oven to check progress, the temperature drops by 25 degrees.
• Use glass or ceramic pans in ovens. You can turn down the temperature by about 25 degrees and foods will cook just as quickly.
• If you're upgrading: Solid disk elements and radiant elements under glass stove tops are easier to clean than conventional electric coil elements, but they take longer to heat up and use more electricity. Halogen elements and induction elements are more efficient than conventional coil elements, but if you choose induction elements you must use only iron or steel pans. Aluminium cookware will not work.

Dishwashers

• If your dishwasher has an air-dry setting, select it instead of heat-drying and you'll cut energy use by 15 to 50 percent. If there's no air-dry setting, turn the dishwasher off after its final rinse and open the door.
• If you can, install your dishwasher away from the fridge. The dishwasher's heat and moisture increase the fridge's energy consumption. If you have to put them next to each other, insert a sheet of foam insulation between them.
• If you're upgrading: Select a dishwasher with a booster heater that raises incoming water to 140 degrees or higher (which dissolves grease better). You can then save energy by lowering your home water heater to 120 degrees.

Fridges and Freezers

• Trapped heat around a cooling appliance increases energy consumption. Make sure to leave at least two inches of space between your fridge and the walls or cabinets so air can circulate around the condenser coils.
• Set your fridge between 36 and 40 degrees for optimal food storage and energy conservation.
• Brush or vacuum dirty refrigerator coils to improve your appliance's efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
• Keep your freezer and fridge full. The mass of the cold food will help your fridge recover every time someone stands there with the door open looking blankly at the leftovers.
• Try not to stand there with the door open looking blankly at the leftovers.
• If you're upgrading: One large fridge is cheaper to run than two smaller ones. In addition, side-by-side fridge/freezers use between 7 and 13 percent more energy than similar models with the freezer on top. Chest freezers are typically more efficient than upright freezers, which aren't as well insulated and spill cold air when you open the door.

Water Heaters

• Wrap your water heater with an insulating blanket, especially if it's in an unheated area of your home. Some newer models are so well insulated that you don't need to wrap them. Also, check first to make sure that adding an insulating blanket will not affect the warranty.
• Conserve hot water by installing water-saving showerheads.
• Wear your dirty clothes while having a hot bath. Check with your chiropractor first. The wringing part takes spinal flexibility.