1. Insulation Tips
    2. Weatherization Tips
    3. Heating and Cooling Tips
    4. Fireplace Tips
    5. Water Heating Tips
    6. Cold Climate Window Tips
    7. Lighting Tips
    8. Appliances

Appliances account for about 20% of your household’s energy consumption. When you’re shopping for appliances, think of two price tags. The first one is the purchase price. The second is the cost of operating the appliance during its lifetime, which could be the next 20 years. Look for the ENERGY STAR label; these appliances are the most energy-efficient products you can buy.

Dishwashers

•	Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
•	Don’t use the "rinse hold" cycle for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.
•	Let your dishes air dry.
•	Check your manual. Your dishwasher may have an internal heating element that allows you to set the water heater in your home to a lower temperature.

Refrigerators/Freezers:

•	Don’t keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37 – 40 degrees F for fresh food areas, and 5 degrees for the freezer section of your refrigerator. Freezers should be kept at 0 degrees F.
•	Look for a refrigerator with automatic moisture control. This prevents moisture accumulation on the cabinet exterior.
•	Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers; frost build-up decreases the energy efficiency of the unit.
•	Make sure your refrigerators door seals are airtight.
•	Move your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils once a year unless your have a no-clean condenser model.

Laundry:

•	Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible.
•	Wash and dry full loads.
•	Use the appropriate water-level setting for smaller loads.
•	Clean the filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
•	Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.

For more information, visit the appliances & lighting section of the Focus on Energy website.

For detailed information on specific issues, check out our collection of Home Energy articles.