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ENERGY STAR® Appliances
Tips and Advice
By making a few small changes in the way you use your household appliances, you can save energy and money!
Here are a few tips to try with various appliances:
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- Read the user's manual. You'll find plenty of tips to help you run your refrigerator efficiently.
- When dust and pet hair accumulate on a refrigerator's condensers and coils, the motor has to work harder and it uses more electricity. Clean your refrigerator's condensers and coils regularly, and make sure that air can circulate freely around them.
- Vacuum the dust that accumulates behind and beneath your refrigerator on a regular basis.
- Since motors and compressors generate heat, you should leave enough space around your refrigerator for air to circulate freely. If the heat cannot dissipate, the cooling system has to work harder and uses more electricity.
- When you fill your refrigerator, be sure not to overload the shelves and door. If air cannot circulate inside your refrigerator, it will be less energy efficient.
- For maximum efficiency and to keep food as fresh as possible, set the temperature of your refrigerator between 1.7°C and 3.3°C (35°F and 38°F) and your freezer compartment at -18°C (0°F).
- Make sure that the seal around the door is clean and fits snugly. When you close the door, the seal should be able to hold a sheet of paper in place. If the paper slips out easily, replace the seal.
- If you have an old refrigerator that you no longer use, unplug or recycle it. It probably uses more energy than your newer model.
- Keep your refrigerator away from sources of heat and at least 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 in.) away from walls so that air can circulate freely around it.
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- Read the user's manual. You'll find plenty of tips to help you run your freezer efficiently.
- Ensure that the seal around the door is clean and fits snugly. When you close the door, the seal should be able to hold a sheet of paper in place. If the paper slips out easily, replace the seal.
- Defrost your freezer thoroughly and clean the interior at least once a year.
- Vacuum the dust that accumulates behind and beneath your freezer on a regular basis.
- Keep your freezer away from sources of heat and at least 5 to 7 cm
(2 to 3 in.) away from walls so that air can circulate freely around it.
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- Read the user's manual. You'll find plenty of tips to help you run your dishwasher efficiently.
- Clean the filter near the bottom of your dishwasher regularly to keep your appliance in good working order.
- Run your dishwasher only when it is full, and use the shortest cycle that provides a satisfactory wash.
- Choose the "energy saver" or "air dry" drying cycle.
- Some people rinse their dishes before loading the dishwasher. You'll save water and energy if you just scrape off any food remaining on your plates and cutlery. Your dishwasher will take care of the rest.
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- Read the user's manual. You'll find plenty of tips to help you run your clothes washer efficiently.
- Studies show that clothes rinsed in cold water are just as clean as those rinsed in hot water.
- Wash clothes in cold water as often as possible. There are now detergents that dissolve easily in cold water.
- If your laundry is heavily soiled, use your washer's pre-soak cycle instead of washing the load twice.
- It's more energy efficient to run a washer when it is full, so make sure you purchase a model that is the right size for your family.
- If your model is equipped with a water level selector, make sure it is set correctly for each load.
- If possible, install your clothes washer near the water heater to reduce the amount of heat loss from pipes and hoses. Insulate all pipes and hoses, especially those near non-insulated walls.
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- Read the user's manual. You'll find plenty of tips to help you run your clothes dryer efficiently.
- If you put soaking wet clothes in your dryer, it has to work harder and it uses more electricity. Ring out your clothes first, either by hand or using your washer's spin cycle.
- Avoid running the dryer for small loads.
- If possible, sort laundry according to the weight of the material. Put lighter clothes that dry faster in one load, and dry heavier clothes together in another.
- Start your second load as soon as you have finished the first so that the dryer doesn't have time to cool down. You'll save on electricity!
- Never leave the dryer running for too long. Over-drying uses more electricity, creates more wrinkles and causes clothes to shrink. A normal cycle should last between 40 minutes and one hour.
- To save money and cut down on wrinkles, try the "cool down" cycle, which generally corresponds to the permanent press setting. For the last few minutes in the cycle, the machine blows cool air into the drum.
- Remember to clean out the lint filter every time you use your dryer.
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- Read the user's manual. You'll find plenty of tips to help you run your stove efficiently.
- Choose a burner that is the right size for the pot you're using. The bottom of the pot should be same size as the element. If it is larger, it'll take more electricity to heat the pot and its contents. If the pot is smaller, you're wasting energy.
- Use pots with smooth, flat bottoms. The cooking time will be shorter and you'll use less energy if the entire surface is in contact with the element.
- Make sure the seal around the door is clean and fits snugly. When you close the door, the seal should be able to hold a sheet of paper in place. If the paper slips out easily, replace the seal.
- Use the lowest settings possible. For example, as soon as water boils, reduce the heat as much as you can while keeping the water boiling. Your food won't cook any faster at a higher setting.
- Avoid opening and closing the oven door more than necessary. You lose at least 20% of the heat each time it is opened. Look through the window instead.
- Whenever possible, use stovetop burners, a toaster or a microwave oven to heat up small quantities of food.
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- If you use your hot water dispenser only occasionally, turn off the heating element. It takes four times as much electricity to keep water hot than to keep it cold. You'll save energy and money.
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- When the time comes to replace your appliances, Hydro-Québec encourages you to dispose of them properly. More information
- Some of the information in this publication was provided by Natural Resources Canada.
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