You can get great convenience from today’s technology. The problem is that though your life might be better in efficiency, some of these appliances and electronics will consume more energy, emit greenhouse gases and lead to electronic wastes. To reduce the effect of these appliances on the environment and on your wallet, you will need to upgrade but in a responsible manner. This is why you need to install easily recyclable and energy efficient appliances that will last long and reduce your consumption costs.

Most people have no idea how much energy they use in the kitchen and this might be the reason why most will not think about the important upgrade. On average, appliances such as the stove, dishwasher, washers and dryers, and refrigerators will take about 13 percent of the utility bills. When you include the water heater you will be increasing another 15% in your bill. The consumption will highly depend on the age of the appliance with old appliances consuming more energy.

You can take advantage of today’s technology to save energy but this will only happen when you know how to do it and what you are looking for. Have you heard about ENERGY STAR? Most people are still wondering what the deal is with this term. Well this is a program established by EPA and is part of Clean Air Act aimed at protecting the environment. EPA test appliances in a lab and certifies ENERGY STAR appliances which are found to perform better than standard models in preservation of the environment including low energy consumption. There is a new ‘Most Efficient’ label given to ENERGY STAR equipment to show that they are energy efficient.

Kitchen Equipment That Will Help you Save Money

Water Heaters: A heater of between 4500 and 5 500 watts with 40 gallons. When compared to the standards models, an ENERGY STAR water heater will reduce water heating costs by between 10 and 50 % depending on the heater’s model. You can get tankless water heaters, solar storage, gas and electric water heaters.

Dish Washer:  Between 1200 and 2400 watts. The dishwashers manufactured today will use less hot water and less energy than older models. When you replace the old dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR washer, you can save up to 10 gallons of water in every cycle and the money can be used to purchase dishwashing detergent enough for a whole year.

Clothes Washer: Between 350 and 500 watts. Older clothes washer models are inefficient and will cost more than 3 times more to operate when compared to modern energy efficient models. When you are replacing your old washer, go for an ENERGY STAR model that will do a great job saving you a lot of money by using you 35% less water and 20% less energy when compared to standard washer models.

Clothes Dryer: Between 1800 and 5000 watts. Clothes dryers alone account for over 4% of the total energy consumption in a home. This is a lot considering it is one appliance and is used regularly. As a result, the EPA came up with the Advanced Clothes Dryer which uses emerging technology to efficiently dry clothes and consume less energy. The appliance comes with hardware and software improvements which are aimed at reducing energy consumption and offering more efficiency. This has led to the improvement of dyers by different companies and you can now reduce the consumption of this appliance by as much as 36%. This will contribute a great deal in reducing the overall energy cost.

Fridge: 725 watts, 16 cubic feet and frost free. Fridges manufactured before 1993 will consume more than 2 times the energy used by ENERGY STAR refrigerators. Some of the models that are ENERGY STAR qualified will use 20 percent less energy than modern standard fridges. This means that you can save a great deal of energy and money by simply getting rid of your old fridge model.

Electronic Waste

Electronic waste is quickly becoming a global concern. Companies are manufacturing electronics around the clock and people are buying them and some are throwing away the old models. Electronic waste is responsible for toxic substances that poison the environment. Only about 11 to 14 % of electronic waste is properly recycled. The safe disposal of e-waste will help in preserving the environment and is also important for your health.

There are many different e-waste disposal options and recycling is one of them. If your retail has no free pick-up services with the purchase of a new appliance there are organizations that will pick up the waste and recycle it or dispose it safely.

If you are looking or methods to upgrade your kitchen to an energy efficient one, then you need all the information you can get your hands on. Failsafe Electric expert electricians will give you advice and tips on how to save more energy and on how to properly dispose electronic waste.