This content was featured in the July 2023 issue of Kansas Country Living.

Spoiler alert!  Your clothes and dishes won't know the difference! 

Major home appliances account for approximately 16% of an average home's energy consumption. 

•Run full loads of laundry instead of several smaller ones.

•Use cold water to wash your clothes

•Keep your refrigerator at 35-38 F and your freezer at 0 F. 

•Regularly defrost manual-defrost freezers and refrigerators.

•Skip the heated dry setting on your dishwasher.

•Fully load your dishwasher before washing. 

•When buying new appliances, consider Energy Star® versions. 

•Unplug appliances you're not using. 

Time to replace that old appliance? Replacing older versions with energy-efficient models can save the average household more than $500 per year. 

Source: National Resources Defense Council, U.S. Energy Information Administration