Easy changes could save you more than $6,000 a year in appliance energy waste
BOSTON - The average family loses more than $6,000 in energy wasted from their appliances according to "Consumer Reports." But the organization says buying a new one isn't necessarily the answer as there are things you can do to improve the efficiency of the appliances you already have.
"People really do waste money by not doing those little things that improve efficiency," explained Consumer Reports home and garden editor Paul Hope.
Starting with the dishwasher, Hope advises consumers to wash the filter located at the bottom of the appliance and wipe down the gasket that runs along the door.
Believe it or not, skipping the pre-rising can also help save energy.
"Most dishwashers actually have a soil sensor built in to see how dirty the dishes are going in. When you pre-rinse, you're actually fooling it into thinking the dishes are cleaner," he said.
You can keep your gas stove in great shape by cleaning up spills fast and checking to make sure the flame is blue.
"That means everything's working like it should. If it's burning yellow or orange, that's a pretty good indication that you have a clogged burner or something wrong with one of the burner tubes," Hope said.
A lot of us store items on top of our fridge, and that's an energy no-no, according to Hope.
"It can actually interfere with the fridge's ability to dissipate heat," Hope said.
A few more bits of advice from Hope: The ideal temperature setting for a refrigerator is 37 degrees, and your food will last longer if you keep veggies in the crisper drawer and meat on the bottom shelf where it's coldest.