Simple Energy Savings Tips to Consumers Looking for Ways to Cut Energy Bills

Looking for ways to save money? Look no further than your kitchen. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offers these simple energy savings tips to consumers looking for ways to cut energy bills this summer.

The energy consumed by home appliances has dropped sharply since 2000. Refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers combined account for a 43% decrease in energy consumption since 2000. Replacing an eight year old refrigerator, dishwasher and clothes washer with new appliances of average efficiency will save consumers more than $95.00 per year in energy bills. Replacing an eight year old clothes washer will save more than $60.00 in electricity costs and nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year. Additional savings can be obtained by purchasing Energy Star appliances.

Energy savings can also be obtained by following these easy tips:

• If you are replacing your refrigerator, do not use the old refrigerator as a second refrigerator. This will not yield energy savings. Properly recycle the appliance. To find recycling options in your area, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.
• Allow hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator; and always cover foods that may release moisture in the refrigerator.
• Limit opening the refrigerator and freezer doors. Label foods or use clear food storage bags to easily identify foods.
• Scrape, but do not pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning soiled dishes.
• Take advantage of your dishwasher's "eco" option that reduces water use, or use a no-heat air dry feature.
• Use load size settings -- if you are washing a small load of clothing, be sure to change the load setting. Use cold water settings whenever possible.
• Always clean the lint filter on the clothes dryer after each use. A clogged filter will reduce dryer performance.

More information on energy savings can be found on AHAM's web site http://www.aham.org.