• If washing dishes by hand, fill one basin with warm soapy water and the other with cold rinse water. This saves much more water than leaving the cold water running for rinsing.
• If you’re using the dishwasher, there is no need to pre-rinse dishes (unless your dishwasher is an old model). Be sure machine is full, but not overloaded.
• Turn off automatic air-dry switch, and let dishes dry by air. If your machine doesn’t have an air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a bit so the dishes will dry faster.
• If a small load, avoid using “Rinse-Hold”. This uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time it’s used.
• Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer’s recommendations on water temperature; many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater in your home to a lower temperature (115 degrees).

• Microwaves use between one-fifth and one-half as much energy as conventional stoves.
• Microwaves are most efficient at cooking small portions and for defrosting.
• Food cooks faster when placed on the outer edges of a rotating tray rather than in the center, allowing more microwaves to interact with the food.
• Food cooks faster in a microwave as the surface-to-volume ratio increases. When cooking potatoes, for example, thinner slices will cook faster than cubed or quartered sections.
• During warm weather, microwave use minimizes radiant heat buildup from the kitchen.

Induction cooking uses 90% of the energy produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner and 65% for traditional electric ranges.

Induction cooking is based on magnetic fields: each ‘element’ (an induction coil) generates a magnetic field that induces heat in steel cookware placed on top of it. In essence, the pot becomes the element that cooks the food, so the cooktop surface doesn’t get as hot as other cooktops. Induction cooktops have the same instant control as gas and are the fastest of all cooktop types to heat and cook food.

Sun ovens are the most energy-efficient cooking appliance.These solar powered ovens require no fuel yet can cook anything you can cook in a conventional stove. Of course they must be used outdoors in the sun. For summer cooking they also save energy by keeping your kitchen from heating up. More information about sun ovens and solar cooking.

Hybrid solar ovens are also available which have an electric backup which allows the oven to be used when sunlight is not available. Even when using the electric backup, these units use 75% less electricity than conventional electric range ovens. More information.

• Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator twice a year to maximize efficiency. Leave enough space between your refrigerator and the wall behind, as well as space to either side, so air can circulate around the condenser coils. Trapped heat increases energy consumption.
• Check the door gasket occasionally to be sure the seal isn’t broken by debris or caked on food. Test by closing the door over a dollar bill so that it’s half in and half outside of the refrigerator. If you can pull the bill out easily, the latch may need adjusting or the seal may need replacing.
• Avoid frost build-up in the freezer compartment. Frost build-up should be less than 1/4 inch in thickness. Excess frost build-up reduces the energy efficiency of the unit.
• Be sure the refrigerator isn’t located next to heat sources such as heat vents, stove or dishwasher. Even direct sun will lower efficiency – block it if possible.

• Check temperature settings. Recommended temperatures are 37 – 40 degrees for the fresh food compartment and 5 degrees for the freezer compartment. Stand-alone freezers for long-term storage should be kept at 0 degrees.
• To check the refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator and check the reading after 24 hours. To test the freezer temperature, place thermometer between frozen packages and check the reading after 24 hours.
• A new, more efficient refrigerator can typically save you $70–80 per year and will pay for itself in about nine years. Older models commonly use an annual average of over 1,700 kWh, while equivalent models now use fewer than 700 kWh. This can reduce your carbon-dioxide emissions by over 1,000 pounds a year.

The refrigerator is the single biggest power consumer in most households. See our page on Energy-Efficient Appliances, which has more information on refrigerator care.