Major Appliances

Refrigerators, freezers, stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers consume the third largest share, or 13%, of annual household energy. If your appliances are old, they could be costing you even more energy and money.

There are a number of things that you can do to make sure you are using your appliances as efficiently as possible. The list of tips below will help to guide you in your efforts to increase your energy efficiency. When replacing an old, inefficient appliance or buying an appliance for the first time, make sure it is both ENERGY STAR and EnerGuide qualified.

For further information on energy saving tips for appliances, consult Natural Resource Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE).

Tips

Refrigerators and Freezers (Quick Fact: 1)
Temperature setting
•Save energy by lowering the temperature of your fridge and freezer: set the refrigerator no lower than between 1.7ºC and 3.3ºC, and the freezer at -18ºC. Quick Fact: 1
•Install a thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer to monitor the temperature. Quick Fact: 1

Good fridge and freezer use
•Locate your refrigerator and freezer in you kitchen away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
•Try to limit the use of liquid dispensers and ice cube makers.
•Avoid putting hot food directly into the refrigerator and freezer.
•Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator to keep the fridge cool.
•Fill you freezer with plastic containers of water: a full freezer performs better than an empty one.
•Defrost your freezer regularly if it is not self-defrosting so that it does not have to work as long and hard to maintain cold temperatures.

Maintenance
•Clean dust from fridge and freezer coils. If you do not have any condensation forming around the door of your fridge, turn off the “energy saver” switch to the small heaters that stop condensation (if you have one).
•Check seals around your fridge or freezer to make sure they are tight.

New fridge and freezer
•If buying a new fridge, make sure it is EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR qualified, choose the smallest size that matches your needs, and consider models with the freezer on top since they use less energy. Quick Fact: 1
•If buying a new freezer, consider an ENERGY STAR chest freezer as opposed to a less efficient upright model. Quick Fact: 1,2

Stoves
Energy-efficient use
•Use the convection oven option on your stove whenever possible to reduce cooking times. Quick Fact: 1
•Use your microwave to reheat food or to cook small portions; it uses less energy.
•Use smaller appliances when possible: kettles and toaster ovens use less energy than your stove.
•When use the self-cleaning feature, do so right after cooking a meal while the oven is still hot.

Good cooking habits
•Try not to preheat your oven: it wastes energy that could be used to cook your food.
•Turn off the oven before your food is completely ready and let the heat in the oven finish the rest of the cooking.
•Use the oven light to check on food; opening the door wastes energy.
•Make sure that lids fit tightly on pots and, when possible, keep lids on when cooking to trap heat in the pots so you can lower the temperature of the cooking element. Quick Fact: 1
•Turn the heat down once water is boiling. A higher setting will not cook your food any faster.
•Turn off the heat two or three minutes before the end of the proper cooking time.
•Make sure metals pans under burners are kept clean and shiny so that they reflect heat onto cookware.
•Cook more than one meal at a time and refrigerate or freeze extra food: reheating food takes less energy than cooking it.

New stove
•If buying a new electric stove, make sure it has the lowest EnerGuide rating and remember that conventional coil burners require more energy than high-tech halogen or induction elements.
•If purchasing a new gas stove: 1) make sure it has been certified by the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) or Underwriters Laboratories; 2) choose a stove that has no pilot light since this can waste 50% of the energy used by an oven; and 3) make sure the oven has a self-cleaning feature that provide more insulation.

Dishwashers (Quick Fact:1)
Good Habits
•Let your dishes air dry by selecting the “no heat drying” option or just open the door to dry them.
•Run your dishwasher only when full, and use the setting that offers the best wash in the least amount of time. Quick Fact: 1
•Avoid using the “warm your plate” option if your dishwasher provides this feature.

Maintenance
•Regularly clean the filter at the bottom of your dishwasher to keep the machine running efficiently.

New dishwasher
•If buying a new dishwasher, look for the ENERGY STAR symbol and choose a model low on water consumption and with a built-in electric heater, so you can lower the temperature at which you hot water heater needs to be set. Quick Fact: 1,2, 3

Washing machines
Good habits
•Wash clothes in warm water and rinse in cold water to save energy needed to heat water. Quick Fact: 1
•Select the right size setting for the amount of clothes you are washing to reduce water use and heating. Quick Fact:1

New washing machine
•If buying a new washer, purchase one that is a front-loading or horizontal axis machine; they use less water and energy. Quick Fact: 1

Dryers
Good habits
•Hang clothes outside to dry naturally when possible.
•Try not to over dry clothes by using a timer.
•Remove clothes from dryer when slightly damp and hang up to reduce need for ironing.
•Group clothes according to fabric type to speed drying.
•Try to combine two washer loads in one dryer load, but do not overload the dryer, or air flow will be reduced and clothes will end up wrinkled.

Maintenance
•Clean the lint filter after each use to ensure high performance of your dryer.
•Make sure the outdoor dryer vent is clean and able to open freely, but that it also seals tightly.

New dryer
•If buying a new dryer, buy one with an automatic shut-off humidistatic feature that can detect when clothes are dry.

Refrigerators and Freezers (Quick Fact: 1)
Temperature setting
•Save energy by lowering the temperature of your fridge and freezer: set the refrigerator no lower than between 1.7ºC and 3.3ºC, and the freezer at -18ºC. Quick Fact: 1
•Install a thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer to monitor the temperature. Quick Fact: 1

Good fridge and freezer use
•Locate your refrigerator and freezer in you kitchen away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
•Try to limit the use of liquid dispensers and ice cube makers.
•Avoid putting hot food directly into the refrigerator and freezer.
•Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator to keep the fridge cool.
•Fill you freezer with plastic containers of water: a full freezer performs better than an empty one.
•Defrost your freezer regularly if it is not self-defrosting so that it does not have to work as long and hard to maintain cold temperatures.

Maintenance
•Clean dust from fridge and freezer coils. If you do not have any condensation forming around the door of your fridge, turn off the “energy saver” switch to the small heaters that stop condensation (if you have one).
•Check seals around your fridge or freezer to make sure they are tight.

New fridge and freezer
•If buying a new fridge, make sure it is EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR qualified, choose the smallest size that matches your needs, and consider models with the freezer on top since they use less energy. Quick Fact: 1
•If buying a new freezer, consider an ENERGY STAR chest freezer as opposed to a less efficient upright model. Quick Fact: 1,2

Stoves
Energy-efficient use
•Use the convection oven option on your stove whenever possible to reduce cooking times. Quick Fact: 1
•Use your microwave to reheat food or to cook small portions; it uses less energy.
•Use smaller appliances when possible: kettles and toaster ovens use less energy than your stove.
•When use the self-cleaning feature, do so right after cooking a meal while the oven is still hot.

Good cooking habits
•Try not to preheat your oven: it wastes energy that could be used to cook your food.
•Turn off the oven before your food is completely ready and let the heat in the oven finish the rest of the cooking.
•Use the oven light to check on food; opening the door wastes energy.
•Make sure that lids fit tightly on pots and, when possible, keep lids on when cooking to trap heat in the pots so you can lower the temperature of the cooking element. Quick Fact: 1
•Turn the heat down once water is boiling. A higher setting will not cook your food any faster.
•Turn off the heat two or three minutes before the end of the proper cooking time.
•Make sure metals pans under burners are kept clean and shiny so that they reflect heat onto cookware.
•Cook more than one meal at a time and refrigerate or freeze extra food: reheating food takes less energy than cooking it.

New stove
•If buying a new electric stove, make sure it has the lowest EnerGuide rating and remember that conventional coil burners require more energy than high-tech halogen or induction elements.
•If purchasing a new gas stove: 1) make sure it has been certified by the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) or Underwriters Laboratories; 2) choose a stove that has no pilot light since this can waste 50% of the energy used by an oven; and 3) make sure the oven has a self-cleaning feature that provide more insulation.

Dishwashers (Quick Fact:1)
Good Habits
•Let your dishes air dry by selecting the “no heat drying” option or just open the door to dry them.
•Run your dishwasher only when full, and use the setting that offers the best wash in the least amount of time. Quick Fact: 1
•Avoid using the “warm your plat” option if your dishwasher provides this feature.

Maintenance
•Regularly clean the filter at the bottom of your dishwasher to keep the machine running efficiently.

New dishwasher
•If buying a new dishwasher, look for the ENERGY STAR symbol and choose a model low on water consumption and with a built-in electric heater, so you can lower the temperature at which you hot water heater needs to be set. Quick Fact: 1,2, 3

Washing machines
Good habits
•Wash clothes in warm water and rinse in cold water to save energy needed to heat water. Quick Fact: 1
•Select the right size setting for the amount of clothes you are washing to reduce water use and heating. Quick Fact:1

New washing machine
•If buying a new washer, purchase one that is a front-loading or horizontal axis machine; they use less water and energy. Quick Fact: 1

Dryers
Good habits
•Hang clothes outside to dry naturally when possible.
•Try not to over dry clothes by using a timer.
•Remove clothes from dryer when slightly damp and hang up to reduce need for ironing.
•Group clothes according to fabric type to speed drying.
•Try to combine two washer loads in one dryer load, but do not overload the dryer, or air flow will be reduced and clothes will end up wrinkled.

Maintenance
•Clean the lint filter after each use to ensure high performance of your dryer.
•Make sure the outdoor dryer vent is clean and able to open freely, but that it also seals tightly.

New dryer
•If buying a new dryer, buy one with an automatic shut-off humidistatic feature that can detect when clothes are dry.