We have a number of appliances in our household that help us simplify housework. These could possibly consume a lot of energy, which would be very inconvenient during these expensive times. Luckily, there is something we can do to lower these costs.
The first one is the dryer.
Depending on the energy label, the tumble dryer consumes around 120 to 410 kWh per year when used on average 3 times a week.
What can you do to reduce costs?
- Fill the drum to the maximum. Drying 2x a half-full drum costs up to 45 cents more than 1x full. Don't overfill either as that will cause more creasing.
- Clean the filter thoroughly after every drying cycle. Also consider the condenser if it is not self-cleaning.
- Remove the laundry directly from the drum once the programme is finished. You will save energy as the machine will not go into anti-crease or standby mode.
- Combine cupboard dry and iron-dry laundry. Set on iron dry and remove this laundry when the programme has finished. The rest can then continue drying on the cupboard dry setting.
- If you have a drain dryer, place it in a warm room. In a cold room, the dryer heats air from the environment, thus consuming more energy.
- When buying a new dryer, look at the energy label and choose a dryer with a heat pump system or gas. These are much more energy efficient.
Number 2 is the dishwasher.
Depending on the energy label, the dishwasher consumes around 150 to 270 kWh per year with an average use of 5x a week.
What can you do to reduce costs?
- Do not pre-rinse the dishes. Wipe or scrape the pans and plates clean. If you do need to rinse, use cold water.
- Make sure the dishwasher is well filled. Programmes for a half-full dishwasher use only a tiny bit less energy and water than a full programme.
- With average dirty dishes, try using the eco programme. This will save around 40 euros a year compared to a main programme. The only downside is that the eco programme does take longer.
- If you have an energy contract with an off-peak tariff, start the dishwasher after the time the off-peak tariff applies.
- Clean the filters and spray arms and occasionally run a programme with dishwasher detergent such as descaler and degreaser from WPRO.
Number 3 is the refrigerator-freezer.
A fridge-freezer combination consumes around 120 to 230 kWh per year, depending on the energy label. If you have an American fridge with 2 doors, 35% extra electricity costs will be added.
What can you do to lower costs?
- Make sure the fridge-freezer is level. This prevents the appliance from malfunctioning and the risk of the door opening.
- Open the fridge door as little as possible and don't leave the door open. If you are clearing out groceries, it is better to leave the door open for a while instead of constantly opening and closing it.
- Clean the door rubber regularly to keep the door closing properly.
- Let hot food and liquids cool first before placing them in the fridge. If you don't, the fridge will have more trouble keeping other products in the fridge at the right temperature.
- If the fridge has a freezer compartment, the advice is to defrost it twice a year.
A thick layer of ice in the freezer compartment causes more energy to be used for cooling. - Always pay attention to the energy label when buying a new fridge-freezer.
Number 4 is the washing machine.
The washing machine consumes around 125 to 200 kWh per year depending on the energy label.
What can you do to reduce costs?
- Make sure that you don't use too much detergent and fabric softener. Add detergent according to the amount of washing in the drum. Too much detergent means you need more rinses. Your clothes will also last longer if you use detergent sparingly.
- Do fewer single washes and run a full drum.
- Use eco mode for delicate or lightly soiled laundry.
- Choose a high spin speed if the laundry goes into the dryer afterwards. If you hang the washing up, choose a lower spin speed. This saves energy and your laundry wears less.
- Try running a boil wash once every 14 days. This prevents hoses from clogging up with detergent and prevents foul odours in the machine.
Number 5 is the oven.
On average, the oven consumes about 110 kWh per year with an average of 90 uses per year.
What can you do to reduce the costs?
- For heating small portions, the microwave is more economical.
- Do not put food into the oven from the fridge or freezer, let it cool down to room temperature first.
- Preheating is usually not necessary, you just need to increase the baking time slightly.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven when you are not using it, this will allow the air to circulate more efficiently.
- Thaw dishes preferably in the fridge or thaw them first on low power in the microwave.
- For cooking or baking small quantities, use an airfryer instead
