According to power savers.gov the typical U.S. Family spends about ,900 a year on home utility bills? Unfortunately, a large measure of that power is wasted. And each year, electricity generated by fossil fuels for a particular home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two mean cars. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to save power and money at home. Start making small changes today.
Plugged In? - Unplug chargers (think cell phones and iPods) when not in use. Only 5% of the power drawn by a cell phone charger is used to fee the phone. The other 95% is wasted when it is left plugged into the wall.
Use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" power use. You'll save the power equivalent of a 100-watt light bulb that is always on.
The U.S. Agency of power tells us that not only do appliances continue to draw electricity while the products are turned off, but in the mean home nearly 75% of all electricity used to power electronics is consumed by products that are switched off.
New Appliances -
1. Refrigerators--According to the Nrdc new refrigerators consume 75% less power then those built in the 1970's. A Family replacing a 1980's fridge with one that meets today's standards will save more than 0 a year in utility costs. Go one step supplementary and buy an power Star-qualified model, and your new refrigerator will save you an supplementary 15 percent or more by using best insulation, more productive compressors and best temperature operate and defrost mechanisms.
2. Dishwashers-god already gave you the most power productive and cost productive dishwasher that would be your hands. Most of us however prefer to use a dishwasher. Technology has come a long way with these too. When looking to buy try to find power star rated these are 25 percent more productive than the minimum federal standards. Replacing a dishwasher made before 1994 with an power Star model can save a year on utility costs. Or at the very least find one with power salvage cycle. Do not rinse dishes before putting them in dishwasher just scrape them this will save thousands of gallons of water a year. Also try to find one that has air dry selection and use it instead of heat dry.
3. Water Heater-- Water heating is the third largest power charge in your home, totally about 14 percent of your power bill. An old water heater can operate for years at very low efficiency before it ultimately breaks down. If your gas water heater is more than 10 years old, it probably operates at less than 50 percent efficiency.
4. Washer - Replacing a washer built before 1994 with an power Star model can save a Family 0 a year on utility bills. power Star washers use 50 percent less power than other proper models, and only 18 to 25 gallons of water for a full-sized load, compared to 40 gallons for proper full-size washers. Many power Star models also advertise lower fabric wear, best stain removal and quicker drying times. Wash your laundry in cold water whenever possible. Most of the power used by your washing engine is used just to heat up the water. If you ordinarily use hot water for your washing you can drop your power consumption in half by choosing warm water, and up to 90% if you choose cold. This drastically reduces the power you use and leads to allowance in global warming pollutants that are created whether directly in your house by your oil or natural gas water heater or by the power plant that supplies your galvanic water heater. Don't wash partial loads of laundry. If at all potential use clothes lines or racks to dry your clothing it will make your clothes last longer and save you tons of money on gas or electricity.
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