Opinion: Tips to increase energy efficiency and save money

Every homeowner wants to use less energy to do the same job because it can help save money on the bills while also reducing waste. Determining where appliances can be used more effectively requires homeowners to educate themselves on how to make their homes more energy efficient.

Earth Day (April 22) is just around the corner, which means now is the perfect time to educate yourselves on being a green homeowner.

Ditch HOT water when doing laundry

Do you use hot water when washing clothes? Try switching to cold water to cut your energy in half. When using a washing machine, 90% of the energy goes toward heating the water. Accord-ing to Cold Water Saves, washing four out of five loads of your laundry in cold water could cut out 864 pounds of CO2 emissions in a year. This is the equivalent to planting .37 acres of U.S. forest. Not only is using cold water better for the environment, but it’s also gentler on your clothes and protects them from shrinking, bleeding and fading. Next time you do a load of laun-dry, opt for cold water instead of hot or warm to help minimize your carbon footprint.

Using the correct appliance

If you don’t already make use of the many energy-efficient appliances, switching to green-friendly washing machines and refrigerators can cut down energy consumption by 75%. Energy efficiency is the practice of cutting down energy use while still maintaining quality. Energy Star refrigerators use 15% less energy than other models, and refrigerators with freezers at the top use 10 to 25% less energy compared to side-by-side and bottom-freezer models. Green appliances minimize energy use and they are also more affordable and can save money. Switching to energy-efficient appliances can also help conserve natural resources such as gas and oil.

Upgrade light bulbs

Upgrading just one bulb to Energy Star saves enough energy to light up Phoenix households for 40 days! Switching filament bulbs to energy-efficient LEDs can save up to 90% of energy, and by consuming less electricity, you can help reduce the need for harmful emissions such as CO2 and SO2. Incandescent bulbs have an efficiency rating of about 10 lumens/watts and use 90% of their energy to generate heat. LEDs require significantly less power than regular forms of lighting and even have a longer lifetime, lasting 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, meaning fewer changing light bulbs and less money spent on replacements.

Use standby mode

If your appliance offers standby mode, using it can save up to $70 a year. Standby mode is when appliances are receiving power but are not running. This is essentially when a device is plugged in but turned off. It can also help save on energy waste through not constantly running your appli-ance all day long.

Arizona residents pay around 12 percent more  in electricity every month due to the Grand Can-yon State’s hot and dry climate. Do research on energy-efficient appliances and consider invest-ing in Energy Star appliances. Your wallet and Mother Earth will thank you!

Editor’s note: Anthony Conti is director of marketing at Spencer’s TV & Appliance, which has two Glendale locations, at 7346 W. Bell Road and 10220 N 43rd Ave, Glendale. Visit spencerstv.com.