Reduce Demand on Home’s Highest Energy Users

Did you know large appliances—refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes dryers and washing machines—account for the largest percentage of electricity use in the average U.S. home?

You can take small steps to save energy when using these appliances.

Give the back of your fridge room to breathe. Keep the door closed and the fridge full. And don’t put hot food in the refrigerator; let it cool down a bit first. Even small containers of hot food raise the temperature inside the refrigerator.

Only run full loads in the dishwasher and be sure to load dishes properly to allow water circulation. There’s no need to rinse first, but thoroughly scrape food from dishes before loading. Turn off the heated dry setting and air-dry dishes instead to save even more.

Wash clothing in cold water to save on the energy used to heat water.

Dry towels and heavier cottons separately from lighter-weight fabrics, and clean the dryer lint screen after every use. When doing multiple loads, switch loads while the dryer is still warm. This will allow you to use the remaining heat inside the dryer for the next cycle. Use dryer balls to help separate your clothes and aerate them, cutting drying time. Air-dry clothes when possible.