July Take Action Period - Week 3

It’s week three of Reduce Energy Use DC’s Take Action Period and this week we’re focusing in on water. We’ll show you how to reduce your hot water use, because it takes energy to heat it up. Did you know that on average 14% of household energy use is due to water heating?

Don’t worry, we know that you can’t go without it, but we have some tips on how to make your usage more environmentally and wallet friendly:

• Lower the temperature on your water heater from 140°F to 120°F.
• Only run the dishwasher when full. Doing this can avoid 100 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution and save $40 annually.
• Using the dishwasher also saves water, using as little as 3 gallons for a full load, while hand washing the same load could take up to 27 gallons.
• Wash all but the dirtiest loads of laundry in cold water, which produces significant energy and pollution savings from avoiding heating the water.
• Make sure to use a high-speed spin cycle to reduce the amount of moisture in clothes, as this reduces the time (and energy) it takes to dry the clothes.
• Air dry clothes whenever possible to avoid the high energy load associated with a dryer.
• Take showers that are 5 minutes or less.
• Consider installing a faucet aerator- these limit the flow of water (hot and cold) coming out of your faucet, saving you water and energy.

We realize that you may be considering energy-efficient purchases. If you do, look for the ENERGY STAR label. The ENERGY STAR label is awarded to products for the home and office that are highly energy-efficient. For example, if you are looking to replace your hot water heater, an ENERGY STAR certified model could save you up to $3,500 over its lifetime!

There are so many more things you can do to help save energy this July, especially with us quickly approaching the day with the highest energy usage last year, July 19. Visit our page for the July Action Period to find out more ways to trim down your energy bill and emissions.