Clothes Washers

Did you know?  The typical California household does nearly 400 loads of laundry per year, using approximately 43 gallons of water per full load with a conventional washer. Ninety percent of the energy consumed by clothes washers is used to heat the water, so one that uses less water will save energy.

High-Efficiency Clothes Washers (HEWs) use 35-50% less water and approximately 50% less energy than conventional washers.

High-Efficiency Clothes Washers are frequently front loading and tumble the laundry through a small amount of water.  They also typically have a very high RPM spin cycle, spinning much more water from the laundry, resulting in laundry with less water requiring a shorter drying cycle.  This all results in less wear and tear on your clothes and linens!
 
Check with your utility for rebates that may be available when you purchase a qualified model High-Efficiency Clothes Washer.
 

Dishwashers

Approximately 80% of the energy used by dishwashers goes toward heating the water.  New dishwasher designs have reduced water use by including more-efficient washing cycles and controls that allow you to tailor each wash to the specific characteristics of the load. Consumers can save $25 to $35 a year in energy costs by replacing their dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR qualified model, and save more than 1,000 gallons of water. Because the average dishwasher is designed to last up to 12 years, savings from a new energy-efficient dishwasher can add up when multiplied over the life of the machine.

Check with your utility for rebates that may be available when purchasing a qualified model dishwasher.


Refrigerators

Refrigerators consume about 18% of all electricity in a typical Californian home -- using more electricity than any other single household appliance.  If you have an old, inefficient refrigerator, you may be paying $120 a year in electricity in areas with high electricity rates. A new, more efficient model will lower your electric bill and save you money, which in turn can help offset the cost of purchasing a new refrigerator.

Refrigerator/freezers come in three configurations: top freezer, bottom freezer, or side-by-side design; those with the freezer on top are the most efficient models. Side-by-side models may be more convenient, but they add approximately 5% to 7% to energy consumption, and up to 15% more if the unit comes with an ice and water through-the-door feature.

Refrigerators, although turned "on" all the time, cycle on and off at a rate that depends on several factors. These factors include room temperature, freezer temperature, how well the unit is insulated, how often the door is opened, cleanliness of the coil, whether it is defrosted regularly, and the condition of the door seal. The harder your refrigerator has to work to maintain a constant temperature, the more energy it will use.

Shop for energy efficient appliances now at The Home Depot.

Check with your utility for rebates that may be available when purchasing a qualified model refrigerator.  Most also have additional rebates for taking your old unit away and properly disposing of it.  Remember that extra refrigerator in the garage humming away with a lonely six-pack - many utilities have incentives for eliminating those as well.