Trim Your Appliance's Operating Costs

The Kitchen

Your refrigerator is one of the hungriest appliances in energy consumption because it must operate full time. You can reduce the energy it consumes simply by adjusting its temperature controls. Your freezer section should be set to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's running at a lower temperature, you are just wasting money. Place a thermometer in the freezer and let it stay overnight. In the morning take a reading and, if necessary, adjust the temperature control a notch or two. Freezers work best when the compartment is fairly full, although you still want air to circulate for don't put in too much. The refrigerator compartment should operate at around 38F. Measure and adjust if it's set too low. As a final suggestion, once or twice a year, pull the refrigerator away from the wall so you can inspect the coils on the back. If they are have a lot of dust and cob webs, give them a good cleaning. Doing this allows the refrigerator to discharge heat more efficiently.

For the next thing we can do, take a look at your dishwasher. There are a few simple choices that, when properly used, will save you money. The biggest one is the "heated dry" feature. Make sure that it is turned off. Do the same for the pre-rinse feature.

The Laundry Room

Your dryer is one of the most energy-hungry appliances in your house. Using it intelligently can save you significantly on your utility bill, whether you have an electric or gas appliance. If the dryer has a moisture sensing feature, make sure that you use it instead of running your laundry for a set time. Over-drying your clothes will just wear them out faster and cost you more. Air flow inside the dryer is important. The more air it can move over your clothes the faster they will dry. This is why it is so important to clean the lint screen. Also, you should inspect the dryer's exhaust outlets once in a while to ensure that they aren't clogged with lint. Not only is a clogged exhaust a fire hazard, but it also makes the dryer is working too hard to move air over the clothes. Also, make sure that the ducts have a minimum number of sharp bends in them. They need to be smooth and as straight as they can be to work efficiently. Try to do multiple loads back to back. This helps because if the tumbler is already hot you'll save a bit by not having to bring it back up to temperature. The best solution, of course, is to abandon the dryer and use a clothesline. If you just do this it will save you over $100 per year on utilities and your clothes will last longer too.

Most of the energy used by the washer is expended in heating the water. Despite what Grandma told you, you can easily avoid using warm or hot water. Detergents these days work well even with cold water. Using hot water does not kill any bacteria, (That would require boiling water, and washers don't do that) so only use it if the clothes are badly stained or especially dirty. If the washing machine has a load size setting, as most do, use it to minimize the amount of water you use per wash. This is particularly important if you use warm or hot water.

These are some pretty simple steps, but don't overlook them. They're easy.

Saving both energy and money are concerns for everyone. If you're considering Home insurance coverage, click the link to find out about something you might not have considered.

Advantages of the AARP Homeowner's Insurance Policy
Are you a member of AARP? I'm not -- but if I were eligible you can bet I'd be looking into this for myself. If you are an AARP member, you might not have noticed how mant benefits the company offers. One of the most important of these often-overlooked goodies is the homeowner's insurance program th