Energy saving, in terms of resources such as water and the good use of appliances are topics that are all over the media today. Why? Currently, more companies, brands and people are aware of the imprint left by their actions on the environment and on the health of the planet.

The general call is to reduce and/or optimize the use of electricity and water through simple actions that can certainly have a positive impact on global warming. For this reason, many brands are increasingly focused on manufacturing energy-efficient appliances (type A, B or C), as users are more inclined to purchase them nowadays. So, we wanted to come up with a list with tips to help you collaborate with this sensitive topic and also encourage you to make better use of the great appliances in your home: refrigerators, kitchens, ovens, washers, and dryers.

 Save energy by taking care of your refrigerator

• Buy a refrigerator that’s right for your family. It’s a known fact that this is the appliance with the highest energy consumption in the home, so it’s a good idea to buy one suitable for your needs. How can you be sure? Well the standard is 50 liters per person, that means that if you have a family of 4, your best choice is a 200-liter refrigerator.
• Avoid opening the door frequently. Although this seems obvious, the truth is that keeping the refrigerator door open for a long time or constantly opening it consumes a lot of energy. But it’s not only that, it also makes the compressor (that is in charge of preserving the cold) work twice as hard, which affects the useful life of the equipment.
• No hot food or locations. Many times, just out of distraction or because we want to preserve a dish, we place hot food in the refrigerator, but there is nothing more harmful to this device. And if you add that your refrigerator is located in a place with direct sunlight or without air circulation, the possibility to damage the equipment and increasing the energy consumption a few points is twice as high. What do we recommend? Place the refrigerator 5 cm. away from the wall. If the equipment is recessed, make sure you have enough space for air to circulate and don’t place it near other heat-generating appliances, or where there is direct sunlight. Oh! And wait for the food to be at room temperature before you put in into the refrigerator. 
• Neither too full nor too empty. A refrigerator works better when it’s filled at ¾ of its capacity. Remember that.
• As important as defrosting (especially if your refrigerator produces frost) is to keep the refrigerator clean inside and out. Do this once every 3 months.
• Keep it at the correct temperature. The recommended temperature for a refrigerator is 3 to 5 ºC, while for a freezer is -15 ºC.

Taking advantage of your kitchen saves energy

• Pots and pressure cookers as best friends. Want to save energy while cooking on your induction or glass ceramic cooktop? Use pots with lid and if you add the use of low flame, your dishes will benefit from this practice. Another idea that will also benefit you in long run is the use of pressure cookers.
• Use the cooking areas correctly. Don’t waste energy putting small pots in the wrong cooking areas. This causes you to lose up to half the energy and also increases the heat in your kitchen.
• Take advantage of the residual heat and timer included in the equipment. Turning off the pots 5 minutes in advance and letting food cook with the residual heat is a way to reduce energy consumption. There are cooktops that include a timer that allows you to cook based on precise times, so take advantage of that too.
• A closed oven does a better job. When it comes to the electric oven, it applies the same principle of the refrigerator. Every time you open the door 20% of the accumulated heat is lost and energy consumption rises. Another important thing that can help you save energy is preheating the oven before introducing food in it and using the timer as well.

Wash and dry efficiently

• Make a smart purchase. Just like the refrigerator, a washer or dryer should be purchased to accommodate your needs (based on the number of people and weekly washing or drying). Is it a young couple? Well, an appliance of 6 kilos of load or less is ideal in this case and it will represent important savings on your monthly bill.
• Fill it more and wash or dry less. Scheduling the number of washes and drying loads per week will allow you to optimize the operation of the appliance and as a consequence use it less. Now, you must consider that this appliance saves between 1 and 2 kW of energy (dryer and washing machine) and 100 liters of water per wash that you don’t do.
• Choose short cycles. Yes, nowadays washing machines and dryers offer a diversity of cycles to preserve the garments, but when it comes to savings, it’s better to choose the shortest cycle and use cold water (washing machine). This will reduce your energy consumption 6 times and save between 20 and 50 liters of water.
• Use the dryer only when needed. While type A dryers are recommended as they are in line with energy savings, taking full advantage of good weather and using the drier only when it’s necessary or as little as possible and to its full capacity, is the best way to reduce energy consumption.

As you can see, these are simple practices that, aside from contributing to the preservation of the environment, help you take advantage and care of your precious appliances.