Top Five Reasons to Enjoy Doing Laundry & Other Household Chores. Really.

May 3, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Copper Development Association Offers Some Energy Saving Tips to Save You Money

NEW YORK— Nobody likes to do laundry, right? According to government studies, the average American family does more than 400 loads of laundry a year. Would you consider spending your tax refund money on a new, more energy efficient washer and dryer? According to the Copper Development Association (CDA), investing in more efficient appliances will save you more money in the long run.

The CDA has joined the U.S. Department of Energy to act as a Save Energy Now ALLY Partner in promoting energy efficiency nationwide among industry and consumers. ALLY Partners are trade associations, suppliers, utilities, state organizations, universities and non-profit organizations who promote and assist corporations, manufacturing plants and energy companies in reducing their energy consumption.

"Anything we can do to maintain energy independence is crucial," says Richard deFay, CDA project manager and electrical applications specialist. "The most cost effective way is through energy efficiency - it's our first and best line of defense."

Consider shopping for products with the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star seal of approval. These products reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are more energy efficient and result in lower energy bills for consumers. Here are five ideas to lower your energy bills.

  1. Is your washer more than 10 years old? Consider a new washer. Over the life of an Energy Star-qualified washer, you could save more than $135 each year on your utility bills. And you could fill three backyard swimming pools with your water savings.
  2. Find savings in your fridge. Energy Star qualified refrigerators are required by the U.S. Department of Energy to use 20% less energy. These new models use much less energy than older models and can cut your energy bills by $165 over the lifetime of your fridge.
  3. Some cool savings in an air conditioner. Heating and cooling cost the average homeowner about $1,000 a year - nearly half the home's total energy bill. If your central air conditioning unit is more than 12 years old, replacing it with a more efficient model could cut your cooling costs by 30%.
  4. Do you have a dishwasher made before 1994? If so, you're paying an extra $40 a year on your utility bills compared to owning a new model. Replace one of these old dishwashers and save enough money to pay for dishwasher detergent for a year. Dishwashers built before 1994 waste about eight gallons of water per cycle. If you replace your dishwasher for a new, energy efficient model, you can save enough water each week to wash two loads of laundry.
  5. Replace that old TV - or just turn it off. There are about 275 million TVs currently in use in the U.S., consuming more than 50 billion kWh of energy each year - or 4 percent of all households' electricity use. This is enough electricity to power all the homes in the state of New York for an entire year. Energy Star-qualified TVs use about 30% less energy than standard units.

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & U.S. Department of Energy

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