There are a few things you can do to make your computer more efficient:

• One of the biggest things you can do is to either turn the computer completely off or suspend operations.

• Also, the longer you can keep your computer alive the lower your carbon footprint will be. A lot more energy goes into making a computer than is usually used throughout it’s life.

• When you’re ready to get a new computer get one that is specifically designed for efficiency, and most laptops are more efficient than desktops.

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After a certain period of inactivity, your computer should go into sleep mode. This is standard with Windows and Macintosh operating systems. The EPA recommends setting your computer to go into hibernation or system standby after a period of thirty minutes to an hour of no activity. The lower the time you set your computer to hibernate the more energy you will save. If you have a laptop, make sure these settings work when it is running on AC power as well as when it runs on the battery.

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… for a new computer?

 Here are a few things to look for in an efficient computer; we’ll go into more detail in later posts:

• Energy Star: Whenever possible, look for the Energy Star.

• Sleep and idle modes are good, but they will be there already if you’re going with a computer that’s met Energy Star’s requirements. In fact, most things will, so we’ll probably just do one or two posts looking at several different aspects of the Energy Star rating.

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Okay, so this doesn’t necessarily fit in the “stove tops” category, but it kind of does. Whether it does or not though, here it is.

Size has already been mentioned a time or two, but it does make a difference… at least on those stove tops that aren’t induction. Think for a second: if you’re boiling water in a pot on a burner that’s close to twice the size of the pot, how much energy are you wasting by heating up all that extra space? Small pots and pans on the small burners, and large pots and pans on large burners!

The size of your pot is something to consider too. Using a larger pot than you really need wastes energy heating up the all that extra space. It will always be more efficient to use just the right-sized equipment.

What your cookware is made of also matters. Some materials heat up quickly, using less energy; copper is a good example of that. Other materials retain heat well. A good example of this is cast iron. Remember: when you’re buying cookware, check what will work on your cook top. For example, induction stoves require magnetic cookware to work.

Make sure your pots and pans have flat, or very nearly flat, bottoms. That lets the pans touch as much of the burner as possible, maximizing efficiency.

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Here are a few things you can do to increase your current stove’s efficiency:

On electric stove tops:

•  Turn off the burner before you’re completely done cooking; use the residual heat to finish.

• Keep the burners and reflectors clean; they will work much more efficiently.

• Use the correct size pan: large pan on large burner, small pan on small burner.

• Flat-bottom pans will waste much less energy.

• Make sure all the elements work correctly.

On gas stove tops:

• Moderate flame settings will conserve gas

• A blue flame means the stove is working correctly.

• Pressure cookers are efficient. Cooking high and fast reduces the energy by as much as 75%.

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Most of the options that I’m going to touch on come with the electric stoves. Here’s a quick list of the options I’ll look into:

• Induction elements

• Halogen elements

• Standard electric coils

• Solid disk elements

Induction elements. With this option you can adjust the heat immediately and precisely. Induction stoves are, in this way, like gas stoves. Because the energy is applied directly to the pot or pan with which you are cooking, there is virtually no wasted energy. The stove doesn’t even get hot except where the bottom of the pan transferred it! The biggest drawback to induction stoves is that they require magnetic cookware such as stainless steel or cast iron. These can be difficult to find too.

Halogen elements. These are fairly common. Halogen elements are usually under ceramic glass tops. They heat up and respond fairly quickly, but they only work well if there is good contact by the cookware to the cook top.

Standard electric coils. This type of stove top is only above the solid disk elements in the efficiency department. They are hard to clean, but they are common…

Solid disk elements. These have the advantage of having absolutely no hot spots, but they are still at the very bottom on the efficiency scale.

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Which is better?

Well, the main advantage gas has over electric is that the cook can truly control the amount of heat that is applied. However, electric stoves are cheaper, at least initially. Also, if you didn’t already have a gas line to the kitchen, you would have to get one installed; this would make the electric stoves quite a bit cheaper.

Gas stove tops do come with some little risk. They have pilot lights on all the time, and gas lines nearby. Those who fear this should stick with electric stoves, but those who don’t care about that will have to let their budget and requirements choose for them. The most common statement out there about this question is that electric is cheaper to buy, but gas is cheaper to operate.

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… for a new stove top?

There are some interesting things to watch for if you are:

•  Gas or electric?

• Options, options, options. Buy only the ones you will use, remember!

• Energy Star doesn’t label stove tops, but there are some things that you can do with the stove you have now to increase its efficiency.

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There are so many more microwave features than just the warming and defrosting options! There are microwaves that have grilling options! Some have grilling and convection oven options. Removable trays are another option.

The grilling option works by using a grilling element along with the normal microwave. This gives the food a more even texture.

Microwaves also come with features such as popcorn, pizza, and vegetable buttons. They eliminate the necessity of setting the power and time; you just punch the button and go about your business. These can be very handy, especially if you have children that use the microwave.

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Size will always play a large part in what appliance you buy, and microwaves are no different. You need to look at your needs as a household: what do you, or will you, use this appliance for most?

If you are only going to be melting and warming things, a smaller microwave would probably work for you. What you can actually fit into the microwave is still important; you should be able to fit a regular dinner plate into a small, compact microwave with no difficulty.

If you are going to fix entire meals in the microwave you will need a mid- to full-size one. These range from 0.9-2.0 cubic feet and sometimes even larger. The larger microwaves have more power, and this higher wattage will cook faster. Remember what you will be fixing in there. If you’ve got casserole dishes that will be going in there often, make sure they fit!

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… for a new microwave?

Microwaves. Most people have them, but is yours efficient? It uses a great deal of energy while it runs, but it cooks things so much faster that it uses is about a third of the energy that an oven would!

There are certainly options when buying a microwave, but they are mostly size and built-in/counter top options. So I won’t really go into them here, but microwaves are more efficient than ovens for small things that just need warming up. Use it for that purpose if you have one!

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There are so many options when it comes to most anything, and ovens are no different.  Here is a quick look at just a few of them:

• Gas vs. electric. Different than pretty much anything else, electric ovens are generally considered more efficient and better in the long run. However, they can be more expensive .

• Double ovens, wall ovens, etc. These options will generally be smaller than traditional ovens, but for some households traditional ovens are more than they need.

• Some ovens come with self-cleaning options. You should definitely take advantage of this option. Self-cleaning ovens will have better insulation, so they are generally more efficient. However, if you clean the oven too often, you negate the efficient benefit.

• Ovens come with appearance features, rack options, and various settings. You will just have to weed through all the options, and decide which ones would work best for your household.

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Well, we all have different capacity needs, so the first thing you need to do here is determine how large an oven you really need. I mean, do you cook/bake a lot? or do you do more just toasting bread? Don’t get a full-sized oven unless you really need it. When a small, counter top appliance works pretty much just as well, use that; those appliances tend to be more efficient, certainly more efficient than heating up the entire oven for a couple of pieces of bread!

I realize that for many households, counter top appliances won’t do. In this case, you still need to find out what size oven you need. Remember: need. If that need combines with your want, you’re in luck. It’s much more important to consider your needs over your desires. So, if you like and are looking at a built-in wall-mounted oven, remember that those ovens tend to be much smaller than the typical oven/range combo.

The main thing to remember is not to buy too little an oven for your needs. Don’t buy one too large either, but for sanity’s sake, it would be better to be stuck with an oven rather larger than you need than to have one you can hardly use because it’s too small.

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As I mentioned in the last post, Energy Star does not have a standard for ovens. There are a few things you can look for, and do, to help keep things efficient.

Electric ovens, believe it or not, are actually considered more efficient than gas ovens! Self-cleaning ovens are usually more efficient because they are insulated better. However, you will only save energy if you use it only two or three times a year. Convection ovens are also more efficient than convention alovens; if they work correctly, they will use a third less energy and save you time!

You can also do things yourself to increase efficiency… or at least decrease inefficiency. Don’t preheat the oven a long time before you actually use it; only leave it on as long as you absolutely need it. You can even turn the oven off a few minutes before what you’re cooking is completely done; this allows you to still take advantage of the oven while it’s not working to heat up. Leave room for the air to circulate freely. This cuts down on the cooking/baking time, and, as a result, uses less energy. Glass pans are another really good way to save energy. When you cook with glass or ceramic pans, you can decrease the temperature by as much as 25°!

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… for a new oven?

As with any major appliance, there are things to consider. Here are just a few of them; we’ll go into more detail later.

• Efficiency ~ There is currently no Energy Star label for ovens, but there are still some things to watch for to help you keep it efficient.

• Size ~ This can be quite an important consideration; you really don’t want to have an oven that’s too small for your needs.

• Options ~ There are really quite a few options for ovens: electric or gas? double? self-cleaning? etc.

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Okay, by the time you’ve reached this point you had better have set a price range. Usually, the more you spend, the more options are available to you. Here are a few options that are available today:

Adjustable interior design. Right, that was poorly put, but that’s essentially what it is. Adjustable racks, removable tines, and silverware and stemware options fall under this category. These increase flexibility and are, therefore, usually good options that work great for larger households or for those who entertain frequently.

Dirt sensors. This option can increase efficiency, if it works well. If it does work well, then you’ve got a wonderful option that will eliminate much frustration from your unloading time.

Filters. These keep food from getting back on your dishes after the wash cycle. Most filters are self-cleaning that work with a grinder. This is noisy, but the convenience of not having to clean it every few weeks may over-ride the noise consideration.

Special wash cycles. The most common dishwashers have just three cycles: light, normal, and heavy. These would work well enough for most dishes. Some dishwashers, however, have extra cycles such as: rinse/hold (allows you to rinse the dishes before you’re ready to do a full load so the food that is on the dishes won’t get stuck on), pot-scrubber (obviously for the extra hard stuff), soak/scrub (again, for the difficult, stubborn dishes that won’t come clean), steam clean (??? perhaps it’s for delicate things?), china/crystal (well, you’d think this would be steam clean if my hypothesis is correct…), and sanitizing (this heats the water above the normal 140 °–usually unnecessary, and a rather enormous waste of energy).

Hidden controls. This is just a style option. The controls are mounted on the top of the door, so they’re invisible when it’s closed. The wash cycle progress is also invisible. Some dishwashers have partially hidden controls.

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While this feature is one that is fairly easy to overlook in the buying process, it is one that will have a more immediate impact once you get your new dishwasher home. Lets face it, there are some dishwashers that are just quieter than others. If you bring a dishwasher home and run it and find that you are unable to carry on a conversation anywhere near the kitchen, then you most likely won’t be too happy with it, so obviously this is something to look, or rather listen, for when you’re in the market for a new dishwasher.

I’m not going to go into it much here, but there are places–consumer reports, reviews online–that will tell you if the dishwasher you’ve picked out is actually as quiet as the company claims. Some places that sell dishwashers have ratings or grades for how quiet the dishwasher is, but these aren’t always unbiased…. Your best option would probably be to read actual consumer reviews of the dishwasher you have decided on thus far.

Here are a couple of places that give reviews on the loudness of several dishwasher models:

• NexTag comparison shopping. Not a consumer report site, but…

• ConsumerSearch. Consumers rate the products.

• Dishwashers. Buyers Guide. Just an article reviewing several dishwasher models.

There are definitely more out there, but this should give you some idea anyway.

Perhaps this should be one of the first considerations after capacity needs. Once you’ve figured out your needs in that area, you must determine what type dishwasher will be right for you. There are pretty much just two types: under counter and portable, with variations within those types. Each of them have about the same benefits when it comes to energy savings, so that won’t necessarily help you narrow your options. We’ll look at a few of the defining characteristics of each though.

• Under counter models. This type of dishwasher obviously has the benefit of being capable of holding a larger amount, as well as not adding anything to the top of your counter. It is also more convenient when it comes to operation: you don’t have to hook it up every time you wish to run it. Being rather more common, it is also easier to find more options in these types.

•  Portable models. These dishwashers are good if you don’t wish to have a stationary appliance under your counter. Most models even offer butcher block tops to make it easier to blend into the overall look and feel of your kitchen. Some models are even capable of being converted to run as under-counter models, although conversion kits may be necessary to do this well. This type of dishwasher is especially good for small spaces like apartments and condos. They are fairly straightforward to operate: generally you connect directly to the faucet at the kitchen sink with a hose that is stored in a compartment at the back of the dishwasher when it’s not in use. After connecting it to the faucet, the power supply gets plugged into a standard outlet.

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One of the most important things to consider when you are looking for a dishwasher is the capacity. The capacity will determine how often you run the dishwasher and how efficient it will be.

Most dishwashers come in two sizes: regular and compact. The regular size is usually 24 inches wide, and the compact is usually 18 inches. However, the sizes are not always defined with measurements, but by the overall capacity. A regular-sized dishwasher is one that will hold at least eight full place settings and six serving pieces, while a compact model is anything that holds less than that.

The regular models are usually considered family size. They are better for households consisting of four or more people.

Compact dishwasher models are best for households with three or fewer people. They are often used in small kitchens in places like condos or apartments. This size dishwasher is especially recommended if you plan to use it only occasionally.

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Dishwashers that are qualified for the Energy Star must meet several strenuous requirements. Here are a couple of them:

• They must use at least forty-one percent less energy than the federal minimum requirement.

• Energy Star dishwashers use much less water than standard dishwashers.

There are several things that you can do while washing dishes:

• Always run your dishwasher with a full load. This maximizes your use of the hot water. Heating the water is where the dishwasher is least efficient, so it’s best to get the most out of it that you possibly can.

• Avoid using the settings for heated-dry and extra rinses. Use the air-dry setting instead.

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… for a new dishwasher?

Here are a few things to remember if you are looking for a new dishwasher:

• Energy Star! Number 1 consideration that will save you money in the long run.
• Capacity ~ Just like refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers have a space limit. How much space does your household require?
•  Type ~ Built-in, portable, or counter-top?
• Quietness ~ This is almost essential if you are going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen while the dishwasher is running.
• Options or features ~ Hard-food disposal, wash cycles, and adjustable shelves and racks fall under this category.

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There are really only three freezer types on the market available to the general public:

Upright ~ This type of freezer is about the size of your typical household refrigerator, and usually has one or two doors. The benefit of this type of freezer is that they take up less floor space than a chest freezer, however they are unable to contain the cold air that escapes every time the door is opened.

Chest ~ Chest freezers take up more floor space, but they are, in general, more economical. The original cost is usually a little less, and the overall running cost will be less because it allows less cold air to escape when the door is opened. This type of freezer is, however, rather awkward; it is not easy to access the food that is in the bottom of the freezer. Many chest freezers come with sliding or lift-out baskets to assist in the organization of the freezer.

Refrigerator-Freezer Combination ~ Since this is the most common and since we kind of already went over these types in the refrigerator section, I won’t go into detail here. The freezer on a refrigerator-freezer combination unit can either be on the top, bottom, or to either side of the refrigerator. This is the most efficient type of freezer for small households that don’t freeze much.

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There aren’t a whole lot of options available in the freezer department, but here are a few of them:

Chest freezers probably come with the option of removable, sliding wire baskets. This type of freezer is notoriously difficult to keep organized, and the baskets are to aid you in that effort. Interior light is another very handy option.

Some freezers come with a lock option. This is useful if you’re extra worried about your food spoiling, or perhaps if you have small kids running around that you don’t particularly trust to keep the freezer closed at all times… However, another interesting option along these same lines is a fool spoilage warranty. This is where the manufacturer will cover the cost of any spoiled food if the freezer breaks down in a certain amount of time. Like some refrigerators, some freezers come with the option of an alarm. The alarm will sound whenever the temperature falls below an acceptable freezing level.

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It can be difficult to determine the right size freezer for your needs because there are so many variables. However, here is a general rule:

For every member in your household you need 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space. You can usually store about 45-50lbs of food in that amount of space.

Remember though, that if your freezer is not at least two-thirds of the way full you will be running a much less efficient freezer than if it were full. If you cannot manage to fill it up at least two-thirds of the way, fill plastic bottles with water and freeze those.

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… for a new freezer? There are some things you should think about before you completely commit yourself:

• Energy Star does rate freezers, so be sure to get one of those. They are at least 10% more efficient than models that aren’t qualified for the Energy Star.

The other considerations are pretty much the same as for the refrigerators, but I’ll list them again anyway.

• Size ~ Determine the capacity you need.

• Options ~ Freezers also come with special features.

• Type ~ As with refrigerators there are different types of freezers.

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