Appliance Tips

In the Kitchen › A refrigerator that was manufactured before 1990 will consume about 1,500 kWh annually and cost Benton PUD residential customers about $90 per year in electricity. › A new ENERGY STAR® refrigerator consumes about 442 kWh annually. › Fill the extra space in your refrigerator with jugs of water. Every time you open the refrigerator door, warm air rushes in that has to be cooled. The fuller the fridge, the less warm air to be cooled. You'll also have cool water to drink! › Maintain the recommended setting in your refrigerator and freezer. Settings between 38°F and 42°F in the refrigerator and 0°F and 5°F in the freezer are sufficient to keep your food cold and safe. › Clean condenser coils on refrigerators at least twice a year. Dirty coils cause stress on the refrigerator resulting in more energy use to cool. › Use the microwave instead of the oven for most cooking - especially small meals. Tests indicate that only 6% of the energy output from a typical oven is absorbed into the food. › Scrape, instead of rinsing, food off of plates before loading into the dishwasher. › Only run full loads in dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers. You're using the same amount of power, but cleaning more. › Let your dishes air dry. If your washer doesn't have air-dry switch, turnoff the control knob after rinse cycle and prop the door open. › Match the pan size to the element when range cooking. › Mark items in your freezer for quick identification so you don't have to keep the door open while you sort through packages. › Let your dishes air dry. If your washer doesn't have air-dry switch, turnoff the control knob after rinse cycle and prop the door open.

In the Laundry and Bath Rooms
›	Your hot water heater can account for up to 30% of your bill. Use your energy-efficient showerheads and faucets aerators to reduce the amount of water released from the tap by up to 50%. You'll hardly notice a deference in water pressure, but you'll have 50% less water to heat.
›	Look into front load washing machines. These resource-efficent washers use 40% less water than upright washers.
›	Clean your dryer's lint filter often to improve airflow and dryer efficiency.
›	Turn off the ventilation fan when it's done its job. Fans pull conditioned air out causing outside air to seep into your house somewhere else.

Throughout Your Home
›	Use lighter colored shades on you lamps. Dark or decorative lampshades can absorb light or reflect it in the wrong direction causing you to use higher wattage bulbs to compensate for lost light.
›	Keep your light bulbs dust free. Dirty bulbs can reduce light output by 10% causing you to compensate lost light with more bulbs.
›	Turn off your computer when not in use or utilize "sleep" settings. Computer manufacturers say that turning your computer on and off a few times a day is considered normal use and will not harm the unit. If tuning off the computer is not an option, tun off just the monitor.
›	Use compact fluorescent bulbs in hard to reach areas and in outdoor light fixtures. They use about 1/4 the energy and last ten times as long as incandesenct bulbs.