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Eco-Friendly Kitchen Appliances Are an Excellent Upgrade
Remodeling your kitchen and upgrading appliances can be a very exciting time. Newer appliances tend to work better and have significantly more advanced features. As technology advances, we begin to see more and more improvements in virtually all appliances. In addition to features that help increase convenience for cooking and food storage, today’s modern appliances also help to conserve energy. In fact, there are a great number of modern kitchen appliances with many more features than ever before that are designed to use up to fifty percent less energy than older appliance models. This means not only a lower electric bill, but a significantly reduced impact on the environment as well.
By far the biggest consumer of energy in any kitchen is the refrigerator. Many companies make energy efficient refrigerators these days, and in many cases, they are as inexpensive as or comparably priced to less efficient models. These refrigerators use at least twenty percent less energy than non-Energy Star certified models, and the yellow energy use tag that comes with all appliances can let you know much more about the particular model you are looking at. A modern Energy Star certified refrigerator uses less than half the energy consumed by a twenty five year old refrigerator. If you consider that an older refrigerator costs at least $300 per year in energy costs and that a newer model can run for a year at optimal temperature settings for less than $100 a year, the savings become more apparent. When coupled with better frost management and more features, these newer appliances begin to show their true appeal.
Another excellent place to save money on kitchen appliances is with your dishwater. By using an Energy Star certified dishwasher, you can save at least twenty-five percent of your electricity usage, as well as at least twenty percent on your water heating costs. While that may sound small when considering the monthly cost of operating your dishwasher, the annual savings can add up quickly, especially for larger families or those who operate their dishwasher frequently.
In short, virtually all kitchen appliances come in environmentally friendly options. By using these appliances, you can save significant amounts of money and greatly lessen your environmental impact. In a time of rising energy costs and depleting fossil fuel supplies, upgrading to a more energy efficient kitchen can be an excellent decision to make for many reasons.