10 Ways to Cut Energy Costs in the Laundry Room

At Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling Energy Services, we like to save homeowners money in every way we can. From routine maintenance checks to thorough energy audits completed with professional recommendations, our expert technicians understand where many homes use excess energy and how to help them cut back.

The laundry room is one area of the house that uses the most energy. Depending on the efficiency of your equipment and the wash and dry settings you select, your energy bills can vary drastically.

In this article, we’ll give you ten easy ways you can lower your energy consumption in the laundry room so you can minimize your environmental impact and save money at the same time.

• Wash with cold water. According to the Department of Energy, using warm water to wash instead of hot water can cut the energy consumption in half, and using cold water can save even more.

• Do full loads. Whether you do a full load, a half load, or a single piece of clothing, your washer will use roughly the same amount of energy.

• Don’t overstuff the dryer. As for your dryer, on the other hand, filling it too much means it will take longer for your clothes to dry, which can increase your energy usage.

• Don’t underfill the dryer. When you dry only a few things together, you also waste money. Because the dryer demands a decent amount of energy regardless of the load size, running it for only a small load is not economical.

• Air dry whenever possible. During the summer months, and even on breezy autumn days, air drying clothes and avoiding the dryer altogether can save considerable energy.

• Switch loads when the dryer is still warm. When doing multiple loads, rotating the clothes quickly can help keep the dryer hot, saving energy on the next load.

• Use dryer balls. Rubber or wool dryer balls help to separate clothes to get more air between them, which can cut down drying time.

• Use the high-speed spin cycle. While your washer will use slightly more energy on this setting, it will remove as much moisture as possible from the clothes and minimize drying time.

• Dry towels and denim separate from normal clothes. Separating out towels, denim, and other heavy cottons can help reduce the time needed to dry lighter clothes.

• Get an energy audit. If you notice a spike in energy consumption or suspect your home is using more energy than it has to, contact the professionals at Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling Energy Services for a home energy audit to see where you’re wasting the most energy and learn how to fix it.