Is It More Eco-Friendly To Wash By Hand Or Use An Energy Efficient Appliance?

Consumers hear a lot about eco-friendly appliances, but there is also a belief that you will save water and electricity by hand-cleaning dishes or some laundry items. So, before you run to the store to buy cleaning supplies and sponges, let’s compare washing by hand to appliance usage.

Appliance Usage

It is hard to believe that an eco-friendly dishwasher actually saves water when you look at how often it sprays, or a washing machine fills to capacity. Cleaning something by hand uses about 27 gallons of water while energy efficient appliances only require about three. Not only do eco-friendly dishwashers and washing machines clean better, but they are high-tech, save time because of more efficient cleaning cycles, and reduce water consumption by up to 5,000 gallons.

How Energy Efficient Appliances Work

Most refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, stoves, and dishwashers on the market today are energy efficient. However, most of them have different Energy Star ratings that determine efficiency. The problem is that some American homeowners believe they are not worth their price tags. There is also a belief that energy consumption cost is not as valued as experts think.

The truth of the matter is that your household appliances eat up about 20% of your energy bill, but energy efficient models last much longer and save residential households on average up to 50% of their total natural resource consumption which allows a person to save considerably. By using Energy Star certified appliances, you also invest substantially in the value of your home.

  • Refrigerators

Thanks to innovative smart home technology, refrigerators have made significant advancements that save homeowners more than ten percent annually.  Energy Star refrigerators also have additional eco-friendly features that use forty percent less energy.

  • Washing Machines

It makes sense for a consumer to pair an energy efficient washer and dryer to maximize savings of water and electricity. Energy Star washers reduce water and electric usage by 50%. Front-load models also require less detergent, so you minimize spending as well.

  • Dryers

Dryers offer the most significant energy-efficiency savings in your home. Based on studies by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a dryer uses more energy annually than your energy efficient refrigerator, dishwasher, and washer collectively. You will cut twenty percent of your energy consumption by using an Energy Star dryer.

  • Dishwashers

Dishwashers require both electricity and water to operate. Energy efficient models save about 12 percent of these resources and save an additional $25 each year of usage cost.

  • Stoves

Are you wondering if a gas or electric stove is more energy efficient?  The winner of this battle is gas because of the high cost (3 times more) to produce and distribute electricity.  Research by the California Energy Commission shows that it costs half as much to operate a gas stove than its electrical counterpart. Energy Star doesn’t rate stoves, but research shows this appliance cost more than $2.34 for gas and $5.94 for electric to run.

Rinsing household items by hand is more wasteful as it requires more than 6,000 gallons of water yearly to clean things. You will also save by filling your appliances entirely. To preserve your savings, contact us at (781) 953-9600 or on Facebook for a maintenance check-up or repair.