Article7 min read
How to save energy with laundry
Many people see their electricity consumption spike on laundry day. Whether you’re washing for a family of two or 10, there are ways to use less in the process.
Quick tip
Don't overload your dryer
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Dryers can account for up to 12% of your electricity usage - so try not to make them work too hard by cramming in an oversized laundry load. Your clothes will thank you too.
True or False
It takes less electricity to wash clothes in hot water than it does in cold water.
False! It takes a fair bit of energy to heat water, so washing in cold water saves energy.
Quick tip
Save over $200 on drying your laundry
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A new ENERGY STAR® rated dryer can save you up to $260 in electricity costs over the lifetime of the machine.
Quick tip
Switch to an ENERGY STAR® clothes washer
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ENERGY STAR® washers have been tested for energy-efficiency and reliability, and can save you $175 in energy costs over their lifetime.
Don't hamper your savings
What does laundry day look like in your household? See for yourself in MyHydro, and follow our laundry tips to iron out any inefficiencies.
Quick Q
What appliance uses the most energy per use?
On average, the clothes dryer uses the most energy per use - it needs to generate a lot of heat.
Quick tip
Dry full loads, not partial ones
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Combine your household's laundry together to reduce the number of drying cycles and improve efficiency by running full loads.
Quick tip
Clean your dryer's lint filter
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Cleaning your dryer's lint filter before using it makes it work more efficiently, shortens drying times, and reduces energy costs. Not cleaning out lint can pose a potential fire risk.
Quick tip
Wash your laundry in cold water
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Did you know 30% of people occasionally or never wash their laundry in cold water? Whenever possible, wash your laundry in cold water and save on your energy bill.
Quick tip
Avoid heat loss between laundry loads
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Save up to 7% by drying one load of laundry immediately after another. Drying back-to-back loads reduces heat loss, warm-up, and drying times.
Quick tip
Hang dry your laundry
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If you do eight loads of laundry a week and use your clothesline for 50% of those clothes, you could save $47 a year. Smaller family? If you do three loads of laundry a week, hang drying half of them would save about $18 a year.
Quick tip
Predict the future of your next bill
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Log in to MyHydro to review your current billing period and forecast your electricity costs. You can see your consumption (as of the previous day) by month, week, day or even hour, and see the forecasted electricity costs based on your usage to date.