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Save Energy in your San Diego Kitchen

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK

Green Tip of the Week

All of our home kitchen appliances can consume a lot of energy, read on if you would like to reduce your kitchen’s energy usage and save yourself some money.

Replace old refrigerators: if you refrigerator is more than 10 years old it might be time to consider replacing it. Old refrigerators can account for up to 15 percent of a home’s energy consumption! Newer refrigerators, especially ENERGY STAR ones, consume much less energy than older ones – sometimes as little as one quarter of the energy.

Use your dishwasher: Although dishwashers are energy intensive, they also use less water than hand-washing, so if you use it wisely, running the dishwasher is a good thing. Resist the urge to pre-rinse before putting your dishes in the dishwasher – this is double-duty and also increases your water bill. Also, make sure you always run a full load- dishwashers always use the same amount of water, so the more dishes you can fit in a load, the more energy efficient it will be. As with your refrigerator, if your dishwasher is old, consider replacing it – replacing it with an ENERGYSTAR  model can save $30 a year on utility costs.

One or two other tips include:

• Unplugging appliances Even when not in use, some appliances may still be consuming energy.
• Put a lid on pots and pans, it will decrease time on the burner.
• Size matters: If you are making a meal, think about using a toaster oven or the mocrowave – both consume less energy than a regular oven.

Content by courtesy of C.A.R