OK, I am going to check every light bulb in the house to see what is regular vs. CFL. :)
-->Chandelier - 5 incandescent flame-type bulbs (OK to switch these to LEDs?)
-->I'm finding several incandescents - 7 so far. Should I replace these all, now? (I guess they are about $10 each? Maybe I will get a couple LEDs to try out this weekend and go from there.
Our appliances should be mostly energy star, let me check:
Fridge -- from 2002, Kitchenaid it says verified for energy performance, and the logo is CSA.
Dishwasher -- a Bocsh and it has an eco button. I don't know if it 's energy star, but I don't want to replace. $$$$
Microwave -- I don't know -- from 2002 and it was a speed cook, but that feature is broken. We are getting a new microwave soon. Although maybe we don't need a micro. Do micros save energy v. cooking? We will probably keep a micro, don't know if we need Advantium speed cook (we had this before)
Washer -- old but it runs like a champ. Would replacing a good old washer save much energy?
Washers manufactured before 1998 are significantly less efficient than newer models. Together, these inefficient washers cost consumers $2.8 billion each year in energy and water.
Our washer is an old top loader that was made in 1999. Water savings is not a huge concern (we live where there is a lot of water).
Dryer -- old -- do they make more energy efficient clothes dryers? But I"m going to start hanging laundry, right? How long does it takes clothing to air dry? In Wisconsin?
Look at this from the Energy star web site.
Residential clothes dryers are significant energy users. According to the Energy Information Agency, they account for over 4% of total residential energy use in the U.S.
I do laundry all. the. time.
Despite being a significant energy user, the efficiency of clothes dryers sold has traditionally not varied appreciably. This has begun to change as new clothes dryer technology, such as heat pumps, have been introduced in some markets, including Europe. The Agency�s preliminary estimates dryers that reduce energy use by 10-13% relative to a conventional model would save approximately 93 GWh and 73,000 MBtu of natural gas, annually, assuming that these dryers account for 25% of the market. And that down the line, highly efficient clothes dryers could reduce CO2 emissions by at least 30% when compared with standard electric models.
Sounds expensive.
Extra freezer.
We do not have an extra freezer. I am thinking of getting one, or maybe an extra fridge/freezer that is Energy Star. I have 3 boys that will be teenagers one day. For now we don't need the freezer/extra fridge yet. Trying to wait until we really need it.