One of the biggest energy eaters at home is the washing machine and although it is not possible to live without it, there are ways to put it on “energy diet”.

90% of the washing machine’s power consumption comes from heating the water so the cooler temperature you set it on to, the more you save. There are special detergents that work wonders with cold washes. Look out for those ones.

The temperature of rinse water does not affect cleaning so set your washing machine for cold water rinse cycle. If your clothes are heavily soiled then you can pre-soak them before washing to maximize the effect.

The simplest way to avoid excessive energy use is to hang your clothes on a drying rack or outside when possible. Use the dryer only when there is no alternative option.

Dry full loads but don’t overload. Load similar types of clothes together and try to dry few loads one after another, this way you will be able to use the heat from previous loads. Take clothes out while they are still slightly damp to reduce the need for ironing.

If you have one, take full advantage of dryer’s moisture sensor. This automatically shuts itself off when the clothes are dry. Switch to the cool-down cycle halfway through the drying process. There is always plenty of heat left in the dryer to finish the process.

Clean the dryer filter often. A clogged filter will reduce efficiency.

Finally, don’t leave washing machine on standby.