How to save on energy bills in the summer
Utility bills are continuing to skyrocket as people crank up the air conditioning. But it’s not the only factor behind the higher costs.
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AUSTIN, Texas — Temperatures are showing no signs of letting up anytime soon in Central Texas.
Because of the high temperatures, utility bills have been high and are continuing to skyrocket as people crank up the air conditioning.
But the air conditioner isn't the only factor behind the rising costs.
Some people may not believe it, but washing machines and dryers are some of the biggest energy wasters in a home.
Energy expert Cyndi Bray says about 10% of an energy bill goes to doing laundry, which is an astronomical number, and Bray has some tips for people to consider the next time they do their laundry.
The first is in the washing machine. Most of the energy that goes to using the washing machine goes to heating the water.
"So I want you to turn the temperature of the water down to cold. Don't worry that your clothes don't come out very clean because a lot of the detergent on the market these days is actually formulated to work best in cold water," said Bray.
Bray said all of your clothes and sheets will last longer if you use cold water instead of hot, and less energy will be used by about 50 cents per load.
The second tip is in the dryer and it's also temperature related.
Instead of running the load on the high heat setting, turn it down to low. Even if you have to run the dryer for a longer period of time, plenty of energy will be saved if it isn't running on the high setting. Fabric also tends to last longer if its dried on a low heat setting.
"If you can air dry your clothes or even if you have an indoor clothes rack to air, dry your clothes, that will save you a whole lot of energy. Plus, you won't be putting the heat out into your house, when you're trying to use your air conditioning," said Bray.
The last tip applies to when you're doing your sheets and your bedding. Sometimes the bed sheets can twist and tangle and they fall up.
"So when that happens in the washing machine, they don't come out very clean. A lot of times people will actually run the whole load again because it doesn't come out clean or it sends it off balance. Then in the dryer, they'll often ball up one sheet will wrap around everything else in the load and nothing inside dries," said Bray.
Bray is the inventor of the detangling tool Wad-Free, which was featured on the ABC show "Shark Tank" in 2021.
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Source: KVUE.com
