West Virginia Department of Commerce energy star appliances - laundry

According to the West Virginia Division of Energy, using ENERGY STAR® clothes washers can save consumers up to $110 annually on utility bills.

Standard clothes washers use excessive amounts of energy and approximately 40 gallons of water for one laundry load. In comparison, ENERGY STAR® models use 50 percent less energy and only 18 to 25 gallons of water per load. Additionally, the spin cycle on an ENERGY STAR® washer is designed to extract more water from your clothes, reducing drying time.

ENERGY STAR® does not certify dryers because most use similar amounts of energy. Using an ENERGY STAR® washer with its modified spin cycle will decrease the amount of drying time needed, saving energy, money and time.

Consumers without ENERGY STAR® washers can still save energy and money by using the following tips:

• Only wash full loads of laundry. This allows for full efficiency of your washer.
• Use the cold water setting on your washer. Energy is saved when water doesn’t need to be heated.
• Use the high or extended spin option to rid the load of excess moisture. This will reduce the drying time.
• Dry clothes utilizing the moisture sensor option on the dryer. This automatically shuts off the dryer when the load is dry.
• Air dry clothes.