Soak up the Savings

With laundry being a daily activity in many homes, upgrading a standard clothes washer to a high-efficiency, ENERGY STAR^®-rated model can really help out in the savings department.  The average family of four can save up to $150 on utility costs, 33,000 litres of water and one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

There are many things you can do, both when purchasing and using a clothes washer, to maximize its efficiency and savings:

1. Look for an ENERGY STAR^® machine.  These use less energy, and according to the Office of Energy Efficiency, can save you up to $955 over their lifetime compared to a conventional washer.
2. Opt for a front-loading model.  The agitators in these have been removed, which provides for greater load capacity while using less water.  Compared to traditional washers, they can save enough water to fill up three backyard swimming pools over the course of their life span.
3. Choose the right size machine for your needs and look for a model with a high Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and low Water Factor (WF).  This will help reduce the amount of energy and water used by the machine.
4. Wash clothes in cold water.  According to ENERGY STAR^® about ninety per cent of the energy used to wash clothes comes from heating the water.
5. Wait until you have a full load.  It takes almost the same amount of energy to wash half a load as it does a full one.
6. Select a high spin speed.  By wringing out as much water as possible, you reduce the amount of time and energy needed for drying.
7. Use high-efficiency detergent.  High-efficiency machines are designed to need less suds and regular detergent can cause them to perform inefficiently.

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