Cool Off In The Kitchen

Next to HVAC systems, appliances can be some of the largest energy users in the home. Appliances can also add to the cooling load in a home, especially in the kitchen. For example, using your stove during the hottest hours of the day will make your HVAC system work harder to cool the home. Here are a few more examples and tips to cool off in the kitchen.

DISHWASHER
As the video shares, a dishwasher can save energy compared to washing dishes by hand. This is true when the dishwasher runs fully loaded with dishes. To help save on energy costs, choose the air dry setting instead of the heat dry option.

ELECTRIC STOVE
The stove can dramatically increase the warmth in your home, especially in the kitchen. One remedy is to grill outside when available to keep the heat out of the home. Also make sure your stove top is clean to make the burners more efficient.

REFRIGERATOR
The refrigerator is one appliance that must continually work making the smallest leak turn into a big one. Make sure your seals are tight and that the door shuts completely. One trick is to use a dollar bill. Insert the bill at the seal and close the door. If the dollar is able to be pulled out easily, the door seals are not airtight. When replacing any appliances look for the ENERGY STAR certification to ensure better efficiency.

LIGHTING
Traditional light bulbs emit a lot of heat. Switching to cooler energy saving bulbs like LEDs and CFLs can cut your lighting costs and heat by 75%.

For more energy saving tips, explore our other articles by clicking on a category.

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