I don’t want to alarm you, but if you’ve got older appliances, you’ve got some serious energy hogs in your kitchen. Apart from the fact that they’re helping to increase your energy bill, they’re also releasing pollutants into your home’s indoor air and, ultimately, to the outside environment. Don’t worry, though, moving toward an eco-friendly kitchen with eco-friendly appliances is easy.
a word about Energy Star
According to its website, Energy Star is a rating system developed to encourage consumers to opt for energy efficient appliances. “Energy Star enabled American families and businesses to save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 750 million cars.” As important, “Energy Star helped Americans avoid $35 billion in energy costs”.
Buying Energy Star rated appliances is an excellent way to lower your energy costs and help reduce your carbon footprint. But I have lots of other ideas that will help, too.
the refrigerator
Exactly how old is your refrigerator? More than 10 years old?
Over time, refrigerators become less efficient and can end up using double the amount of energy they needed to run when they were new. So, if you own an old fridge, go out and buy a new one now.
It will save you money, lower emissions, and (as an added bonus) give your kitchen a fresh new look. By the way, Energy Star rated fridges use up to 20% less energy than standard fridges.
At iio, all of our appliances exceed all Energy Star requirements for energy– efficiency. We use the latest cooling systems, smart controls, and cabinet insulation to make our refrigerators as cool as they look.
Bonus tips:
- Set the fridge temperature to between 2° to 3°C (35° to 38°F) for maximum cooling and energy-efficiency.
- Position the fridge away from heat sources, like the oven, heating vents, or direct sunlight.
- Make sure the door seals are airtight, and never leave the door open for too long.
the dishwasher and stove
Apart from superior savings that comes with owning an iio energy-efficient fridge, you’ll also end up with more money left in your pocket. Take some of that extra cash and update your dishwasher and stove to smart, energy-efficient models.
Bonus eco-friendly kitchen tips:
- Opt not to use the dishwasher’s dry setting. Instead take your pots, dishes, and cutlery out at the end of the wash cycle to air dry or wipe them with an absorbent cloth.
- Buy a range that comes with a self-clean option because they are better insulated.
- Don’t open the oven door because heat will escape, and the heating mechanism will need to work harder to bring the oven back up to the set temperature.
more bonus tips to help you help the planet
- Change to eco-friendly LED light bulbs. LED light bulbs last longer than conventional bulbs and are far more energy–efficient. This way, you’ll be using less power.
- Cut down the amount of meat you consume. If you can avoid it just for 2-3 days a week, that would even have quite a significant effect on reducing your carbon footprint.
- Buy locally grown products. When you shop locally instead of buying products that were shipped from far away you also reduce your carbon footprint and are actually supporting local dairies and farms.
- Buy recycled products. Try to buy products from the market that are made up of recycled materials with minimal packaging.
- Try shopping without plastic. Taking a canvas bag along with you when you go shopping, buying fruits and vegetables loose, and not buying bottled water. Cutting out plastic wherever possible can go a long way to making the difference.
Outfitting your kitchen with an eco-fridge, dishwasher, and range is entirely doable and even affordable. April 22 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Take action by going green for yourself, the health of your home, and the health of the environment!
Finally, take a look at iio’s line of eco-friendly refrigerators and call us with your questions!
