I was raised by two parents who grew up during the Great Depression. Both were vigilant about not wasting anything, including electricity. As a kid, I don’t know how many times I heard one of my parents scream, “Turn off the lights before you leave that room.” That phrase is burned into my brain. To this day when I walk out of a room, I tell myself, “Turn off the lights.” I have to admit it's a good habit. At least it saves money and conserves energy.
Today, there are several other ways to lower utility expenses that may be less evident than shutting off lights or turning down your thermostat in the winter, such as choosing when and how you do your laundry.
That’s right. You can save money by doing laundry. Who knew?
In the average U.S. household, the washer and dryer use more energy than any other household appliance. Clothes dryers alone take the cake.
So what steps can you take to build new habits that save money on doing laundry? The following are a few suggestions, some of which you may already know or practice.
1. Look for The ENERGY STAR® label on your appliances
ENERGY STAR® was established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize energy efficient products and practices that save consumers money and protect the environment. According to the EPA, the Energy Star label “make[s] it easy for consumers to identify and purchase energy-efficient products that offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing performance, features, and comfort.”
ENERGY STAR® label means your washer or dryer have met the EPA’s energy efficiency product specification requirements and are now certified by the government agency. That means an ENERGY STAR®-certified washer uses 25% less energy and approximately 33% less water than a standard model, while a certified dryer uses around 20% less energy than a non-certified one. Advances in technology have helped make appliances more efficient by including, for example, humidity sensors that know when clothes are dry and automatically turn off the machine. Washing machines have larger tubs to handle more washables, cutting down on the number of loads and the amount of water used per load.
2. Reduce the Heat in Your Washer and Dryer
Washing your clothes in warm water instead of hot can cut the energy consumed per load. Washing in cold water saves you even more. Approximately 75% of the energy used while washing clothes goes to warming the water. Nowadays, there are also detergents that work better in warm or cold water than with the traditional hot water settings.
Dryers are energy hogs as illustrated by the chart above. If you can, use a lower heat setting while drying clothes. I know. The drying cycle is longer. However, this can further reduce energy use.
Another option is skipping the dryer altogether by air drying your clothes outside or on a drying rack. Many homeowner associations (HOAs) now forbid the use of clotheslines in yards because they are considered “unsightly.” It seems like we are missing something by not being allowed to dry our clothes outdoors. When I was a kid, I loved it when my mom dried our clothes on the outside line, especially our sheets. I remember the fresh-air smell enveloping me when I got into my newly made bed. Ah.
If you can’t dry your clothes outdoors, then air dry your clothes inside if you have the room. Even if you only air dry some of your laundry, it is still a great alternative to using your dryer to dry all of it. If you use your dryer, switch loads right away so you can take advantage of the heat already generated in the dryer from the previous load.
3. Wash and Dry Full Loads
This takes practice, but you can make it a habit. I used to wash a few things at a time because I wanted to wear the pieces say the next day or I was concerned about washing some items with other clothes. I’ve eliminated that habit because I now live in an area where electricity is expensive.
With the improvement in cold-water detergents as well as washing in cold water, you don’t have to worry as much about separating clothes by color or type when washing them. Plan ahead to do laundry. Wash and dry larger loads but be sure to check load capacities of both appliances before doing so. Reducing the number of loads by washing larger loads in cold water and by using cold-water detergents can help you cut costs while still getting your laundry clean.
4. Do Your Laundry at Night
That’s right. Do your laundry at night. First, check with your utility company to see if it has a plan that offers you a discount if you agree to switch some of your energy consumption to off-peak times. Each company may have different off-peak hours or times and those times may be dependent upon where you live. But switching to doing your laundry and even running your dishwasher outside of peak hours can save you money.
Additionally, many washer and dryers have timers, so you can set them to run later at night or early in the morning, whatever works best for you as long as those hours are within your utility company’s off-peak discount plan.
5. Opt for a Front-Load Washer
Front-load washers are more efficient than traditional top-load washing machines for multiple reasons, including:
1. They Use Less Water and Energy. Front-load washers use less water because the machines have a horizontal drum that rotates, tumbling clothes in and out of the soapy water during the cleaning process. While top-loading washers can use a whopping 40 gallons in a single load, front-loaders cut that water consumption right in half. Less water to clean clothes means less water to heat as well if you wash your clothes in hotter temperatures.
2. They Have A Larger Capacity Drum. Front-loaders do not have a center cone (or agitator) in the drum because the machines clean by circulating the clothes in and out of the water. Without the cone, the drum can fit an even larger load of laundry. With a front-loader, gone are the days of struggling to fit in your plush down comforter.
6. Consider A Gas Dryer
There are some real advantages to buying a gas dryer over purchasing an electric one. Depending on where you live, operating a gas dryer may be cheaper because of the price of gas vs. electric in your area. Also, gas dryers are faster at drying your clothes, which saves on the overall energy consumed while doing laundry. Per load, gas dryers use 50% less power than electric ones.
The disadvantages of buying a gas dryer are the initial cost – gas dryers are more expensive than electric models. Additionally, a gas dryer needs a professionally installed dedicated gas line and a vent to the outside of your home.
7. Lastly, There’s the Heat Pump Dryer
Heat pump dryers are ventless and do not create hot moist air – making them ideal for small living spaces. Heat pump dryers use less than half the energy per load than a ventless condenser dryer or a traditional one. The downside is these dryers cost more than traditional models.
As you can see, there are many ways to lower your utility bills by adopting new habits of doing laundry. We hope these tips help you save money and time and help you avoid utility bill shock. Before you go, remember to turn off the lights before you leave the room!