Energy and water-saving tips for home appliances
Some appliances waste power when you're not even using them.
You can cut your electricity bills simply by turning appliances off at the wall when not in use and by using appliances efficiently.
With some appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, it's also worth thinking about water and detergent use. More water efficient models will save you money, as less power is needed to heat less water. And environmentally-friendly detergents will help keep your family safer and reduce harm to the environment.
Standby power
In 'standby' mode, appliances consume electricity even when they're not being used. One study has estimated that power used to keep appliances on standby is responsible for about 11% of New Zealand's total domestic electricity use.
Standby mode is common in electronic appliances - for example home theatre systems, TVs, VCRs, DVDs and computers. But it is also used by things you might not expect such as dishwashers, microwaves, garage door openers and mobile phone chargers. Look around your home at night to see how many small lights are glowing to get an idea of which appliances are using standby power.
Sometimes, the standby power is doing nothing but keeping an LCD display alight. It might also allow appliances to communicate with each other. In addition, many small appliances use transformers which are constantly warm even when you are not using the appliance.
Home automation - controlling all of your appliances from a central control - guzzles standby energy.
For most appliances, cutting down on standby power use is as simple as switching appliances off at the wall. If you're buying an appliance, you may want to ask how much standby power it uses.
Fridges and freezers
Fridges and freezers use more power in a year than any other home appliance - about 10% of an average household's electricity bill.
You can cut down on operating costs by:
- putting the fridge or freezer in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and away from cookers, heaters and dishwashers
- ensuring there is at least a 75mm air gap around all sides of the fridge and making sure air can escape at the top and enter at the bottom - badly vented fridges use a lot more energy
- setting the fridge thermostat to between 3°C and 5°C, and the freezer between -15°C and -18°C (every degree lower requires more energy)
- keeping some free space inside the fridge for cool air to circulate - an overloaded fridge or freezer will have to work harder
- turning off the butter conditioner
- making sure the door seals are in good condition so warm air can’t leak in
- defrosting if ice is more than 5mm thick.
Disposal of fridges
Some fridges and freezers use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as refrigerants. These damage the ozone layer if they escape.
If you trade in your old fridge or freezer, the delivery people will take your old one away for you. Or you can take it to the tip and leave it with all other fridges so that the CFCs can be disposed of safely by people who are experienced at doing this.
Washing machines
To save water, energy and detergent:
- wash full loads rather than several smaller loads
- follow the instructions on the detergent package - if there are lots of suds in the waste water you are using too much
- use the machine’s economy cycle
- use cold water whenever possible - most of the energy used in washing clothes is for heating the water, and with modern cold-water detergents a hot wash isn’t usually necessary.
Clothes dryers
Clothes dryers are poor users of energy. Many receive only 1-2 stars on the Australia-New Zealand energy rating scheme. And, according to Consumers' Institute testing, every load costs an estimated 65c to $1.45 to dry.
Drying clothes on a washing line outside or a drying rack costs nothing. Sunshine also kills bacteria.
If you have to use a dryer:
- avoid overloading or over-drying
- part-dry or thoroughly spin-dry the clothes first
- clean the lint filter after each load
- vent the dryer outside to remove moist air from the room - this keeps your home drier which can reduce heating and maintenance costs.
Cooking appliances
To save energy when you're cooking:
- use the microwave when feasible - they are more energy efficient than ovens or cooktops
- opt for meals that use fewer pots (eg soups), shorter cooking times (eg stir-fries), or involve no cooking at all (eg salads), or cook meals that will last more than one night (you can always freeze the leftovers)
- use the right appliance for the job, eg the kettle for boiling water rather than a pot and the toaster for toast rather than the oven grill
- use pots/pans that are flat-bottomed and retain heat well
- use the right-sized element for your pot/pan and cook with the lid on (this will reduce condensation as well as save energy)
- make sure appliances are operating efficiently, eg make sure heat isn’t leaking from your oven and keep reflector pans under elements clean and shiny
- keep oven doors closed as much as possible
- allow frozen food to defrost before cooking
- use a pressure cooker.
Dishwashers
To save energy and water when you use a dishwasher:
- avoid rinsing dishes under the hot tap - instead, scrape plates well before loading them into the dishwasher
- clean the filter regularly
- run the dishwasher only when fully loaded
- select the cycle with the lowest temperature and the minimum time to get the job done - use the eco cycle if possible.
Detergent use
Many dishwashing detergents contain alkalis which can cause severe burns to the mouth, throat and airways if they're swallowed.
Many detergents are also harmful to the environment - for example, some contain phosphates which can get into waterways and cause toxic algal blooms.
To protect your children and the environment, look at the labels and choose detergents that:
- are enzyme-based
- don’t use metasilicate or silicates as a major ingredient
- don’t contain sodium perborate
- don’t contain phosphates
- are licensed to use the Environmental Choice eco-label (the label is government-endorsed - look for the black tick and the licence number, or see www.enviro-choice.org.nz for more information).
If the label doesn't state the ingredients, avoid the product.
Is it better to wash dishes by hand?
Not necessarily. Washing by hand frequently involves rinsing under running water first and this wastes more water than you'd think.
A few dishes rinsed under the tap for two minutes could use 25 litres of water. According to Consumers' Institute testing, even the thirstiest dishwashers on the market use less than that.
If you have the right-sized dishwasher for your household and you use the eco setting, you're probably already saving water and energy.
Other energy-saving tips
- Switch off your computer and monitor if you are not going to use them for a while.
- Check the instruction manual, even if you are familiar with the type of appliance. There may be maintenance or operation tips that will save energy.
- Use a power meter to keep an eye on household power use.
More information
From Smarter Homes
From consumer.org.nz
Note: you may need to be a subscriber to access some of this content.
From other sites
Australia's energy ratings website has information about standby energy.
