If you have been a long-time customer of Cody’s Appliance Repair and made an appointment recently, you may have been surprised when you were asked for your email address in addition to your other information. Or you may have noticed our technicians carrying around laptops instead of notepads. These aren’t just our methods of making our company more “tech-savy.” We are trying to streamline our process and save some trees! We know it’s not much, but it’s a step in the right direction toward saving our planet.
Across the country and around the globe we are seeing efforts in increasing efficiency and decreasing our carbon footprint. And what better place to begin than with your appliances? These pieces of equipment take up a great deal of power. In fact, about 13% of the power you use in your home every day goes into your appliances!
It’s always better to repair than replace if you can, because it keeps appliances out of the landfill. However, iff you ARE looking for a new appliance, check out the Energy Star products. This initiative was made through the combined efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. The appliances that receive this the Energy Star label are efficient with their water and power usage while still efficient at doing doing their job!
So here comes the big question; what can you do as an appliance owner that wants to save energy and water?
Here are a couple of tips I have learned from being around this business my whole life that can easily save you money on your energy bill and make your appliances more efficient!
1. VENTS, VENTS, VENTS!!
Clean your dryer vents! When your external dryer vent gets blocked with a lint buildup, your appliance will not receive proper air flow and your dryer cannot dry properly. This means you have to cycle your clothes longer before they are ever dry enough to wear. This wastes both energy and time. It also puts a lot of stress on the machine, which can shorten its life. Tending to your vent is the most simply fixed yet most looked over way to keep your dryer efficient! Cody’s is more than happy to inspect or clean your dryer vent! Either give us a call or ask our technicians to take a quick look while they are already there!
2. Don’t scrub your dishes before they go in the dishwasher!
Your plates don’t need to be spotless before they go in. In fact, they shouldn’t be! Without a little bit of grime on your dishes, the soaps cannot activate! So save water by scraping your plates into the trash can and placing them directly into the dishwasher! You will save hundreds of gallons of water a year.
3. Use cold water on your laundry when possible!
Less energy is required when water doesn’t need to be heated. This will also keep your colors from bleeding. I recommend using cold water for your darker clothes. (Also don’t use too much soap!)
These are the three biggest energy savers that we have seen in appliances.
Of course there are still a great number of ways to save energy!
- Make sure you put lids on your pots when they are on the cooktop so they will take less time to heat up.
- If you have a microwave oven, use it instead of your wall oven or range for smaller items.
- Try to keep from putting too much soap in your washer or dishwasher.
- Limit your trips into the refrigerator. Grab it all at once and save a ton!
- And of course, always look to see if your appliances have an energy saver setting!
We are always looking for new ways to be sustainable as a company and we would love your help! So unclog your dryer vent, and let us take your email instead of leaving a paper receipt!
Stay Green!
Katie Husk, Website Manager and Office Drone
Daughter of Cody and Patty
