launderess
Well-known member
Talk amongst yourselves..
Have Increasing Energy Prices Caused Change in Your Laundry Routine
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powerfin64
Well-known member
no changes in my laundry routine.
launderess
Well-known member
One does try not to let oneself go
But eclectic rates already were quite dear and just became more so with one of several planned increases.
https://www.coned.com/en/accounts-billing/your-bill/about-con-edisons-rates
Between heating water (Miele, AEG Lavamat) then tumble drying and or ironing (rotary ironer, press or by hand) it all adds up.
But eclectic rates already were quite dear and just became more so with one of several planned increases.
https://www.coned.com/en/accounts-billing/your-bill/about-con-edisons-rates
Between heating water (Miele, AEG Lavamat) then tumble drying and or ironing (rotary ironer, press or by hand) it all adds up.
No, at least not recently. I have a couple of Duets I've had for 10 or 11 years. Bought them to reduce water usage. Keep my gas water heater set as high as possible, hang dry clothing and only use my gas dryer for towels and bedding. I'm on a 3 tier electric rate system so tend to do laundry late at night - but I'm a night person so it works out well. My rate after 11PM is only $.07 plus a bunch of fees that effectively take up to $0.13kwh.
Not at all. I sitll wash at extra hot for wash temps to be between 135F and 158F. Warm will initially fill at 95F but eventually reduces to 90F through a process of fills. Never wash in anyhting but warm, hot and extra hot. 95% opf the time I do full loads. Sam with the dishwasher. Use auto with extra hot rinse. Full loads and odn't prerinse.
Being a mostly single person laundry household a lot has come down to consolidation.
Washing one really big load rarely is just more efficient than washing once a week no matter what.
For the US I can just recommend to think about what you dry how.
Running a US style dryer might use 4kWh per hour operated or more.
Replacing existing dryers with the upcoming full size heatpump dryers when the time comes makes an INSANE difference, upwards of 60% in savings.
Same with a water heater.
If you don't have gas, and the water heater needs replacing, just get a heat pump version.
Cuts hot water costs in half or less.
If you do have gas though - at least price wise - there isn't much you can do.
If hygiene isn't your goal for a load of laundry, upping your washtime and dropping the temp a bit is really the only thing you can do there without sacrificing results.
Washing one really big load rarely is just more efficient than washing once a week no matter what.
For the US I can just recommend to think about what you dry how.
Running a US style dryer might use 4kWh per hour operated or more.
Replacing existing dryers with the upcoming full size heatpump dryers when the time comes makes an INSANE difference, upwards of 60% in savings.
Same with a water heater.
If you don't have gas, and the water heater needs replacing, just get a heat pump version.
Cuts hot water costs in half or less.
If you do have gas though - at least price wise - there isn't much you can do.
If hygiene isn't your goal for a load of laundry, upping your washtime and dropping the temp a bit is really the only thing you can do there without sacrificing results.
Yes!
We live in an all electric home and currently our rates from Pacific Gas and Electric are probably the highest in the USA, at $0.43 per KWH in tier 1 and $0.52 in tier 2. I wash normally 3 loads per week. On Tuesday I wash the whites, towels and light colors with hot water, Tide Hygienic Ultra Clean and Clorox Color Safe Bleach (if the towels for the week are white then I use LCB instead of the Color Safe Bleach), the second load is all the medium to dark colors using warm water and Tide. On Saturday I change the bed and wash a load of sheets in hot water with Tide.
In the past I would have done a separate load for whites only, then light colors and the last load of dark colors. Using the Clorox Color Safe Bleach, hot water and Tide Hygienic Clean for the combined whites, towels and light colors doesn’t seem to have caused a problem with the whites coming out nice and white and has helped to keep the electric bill down a bit. Even so, tracking the electric use on the SMART meter website the cost of the electricity during the hours of using the washer and dryer come to almost as much as I’d have to pay going to the laundromat.
All of you that live in states with lower electric rates should thank your lucky stars. We really get hosed in California by PG&E. They just keep raising the rates, and posting record profit increases that correspond with the percentage of these rate increases and then proclaim that the rate increases have nothing to do with their record profits. Please! Judge Judy wrote a book titled “Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me That It’s Raining”, this seems to apply to what PG&E has to say about their profits. It’s total bullsh*t!
Eddie
We live in an all electric home and currently our rates from Pacific Gas and Electric are probably the highest in the USA, at $0.43 per KWH in tier 1 and $0.52 in tier 2. I wash normally 3 loads per week. On Tuesday I wash the whites, towels and light colors with hot water, Tide Hygienic Ultra Clean and Clorox Color Safe Bleach (if the towels for the week are white then I use LCB instead of the Color Safe Bleach), the second load is all the medium to dark colors using warm water and Tide. On Saturday I change the bed and wash a load of sheets in hot water with Tide.
In the past I would have done a separate load for whites only, then light colors and the last load of dark colors. Using the Clorox Color Safe Bleach, hot water and Tide Hygienic Clean for the combined whites, towels and light colors doesn’t seem to have caused a problem with the whites coming out nice and white and has helped to keep the electric bill down a bit. Even so, tracking the electric use on the SMART meter website the cost of the electricity during the hours of using the washer and dryer come to almost as much as I’d have to pay going to the laundromat.
All of you that live in states with lower electric rates should thank your lucky stars. We really get hosed in California by PG&E. They just keep raising the rates, and posting record profit increases that correspond with the percentage of these rate increases and then proclaim that the rate increases have nothing to do with their record profits. Please! Judge Judy wrote a book titled “Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me That It’s Raining”, this seems to apply to what PG&E has to say about their profits. It’s total bullsh*t!
Eddie
No, I'm not doing laundry often enough that running only 104F washes instead of a weekly 140F one would save reasonable amounts of money - even though one kWh is 40 Cents over here.
Same with the dishwasher: have never used the Eco cycle. That being said, I've never had to run a washer/dishwasher self-cleaning cycle, either.
However, I did cut back even more on heating. I probably could also save money if I only drove the minimum speed on the Autobahn.
Same with the dishwasher: have never used the Eco cycle. That being said, I've never had to run a washer/dishwasher self-cleaning cycle, either.
However, I did cut back even more on heating. I probably could also save money if I only drove the minimum speed on the Autobahn.
No.
Water is heated with gas as is the house. In the winter, I use my electric dryers vented through supplemental filters into the basement with the furnace fan running to disperse the heat and humidity through the house so I don't consider the heat wasted. In the summer, I dry with gas outdoors so I do not draw hot, humid outside air into the air conditioned interior space or exhaust conditioned air to the outside.
Since I have to use a shared laundry with washers and dryers that use quarters, No changes! Washers are still $2.00 for 46 minute cycle using hot, warm or cold water. Dryers are 63 minutes with hot warm or delicate temps. Hot bakes everything! If I use a dryer, it's always on delicate.
Tide w/bleach powder is my detergent of choice for all my laundry- one white load with hot water and one load of mixed colors on warm. Rarely use dryer!
Tide w/bleach powder is my detergent of choice for all my laundry- one white load with hot water and one load of mixed colors on warm. Rarely use dryer!
Really no change here:
I always try to do full loads in the SQ FL. Usually, hot wash with 140f water from the gas water heater, warm for delicates and medium dry temp on auto dry. Also, I try to use the dryer during the day in the winter and night in the summer.
WK78
I always try to do full loads in the SQ FL. Usually, hot wash with 140f water from the gas water heater, warm for delicates and medium dry temp on auto dry. Also, I try to use the dryer during the day in the winter and night in the summer.
WK78
lakewebsterkid
Well-known member
Energy costs
Every other load of white towels and sheets are ran on Whitest Whites + AutoSoak using 45°C temp, instead of the Sanitize cycle. I’m probably not saving much electric here, but oh well. I’m sure the additional additives of OxiClean Laundry Sanitizer and Dirty labs booster in the lower temp load make up for the savings though.
Also, rarely running heated dry in the KitchenAid. It heats the kitchen a fair amount. Still running ProWash. Normal is too conservative.
We all would save far more electric and water if we turned the hot water tap off while lathering up in the shower.
Every other load of white towels and sheets are ran on Whitest Whites + AutoSoak using 45°C temp, instead of the Sanitize cycle. I’m probably not saving much electric here, but oh well. I’m sure the additional additives of OxiClean Laundry Sanitizer and Dirty labs booster in the lower temp load make up for the savings though.
Also, rarely running heated dry in the KitchenAid. It heats the kitchen a fair amount. Still running ProWash. Normal is too conservative.
We all would save far more electric and water if we turned the hot water tap off while lathering up in the shower.
Saving energy while doing laundry
Even if we haven’t made any changes to our routine, we’re all using less energy than we once did thanks to the changes in water, heaters machine, design, etc., imposed by the department of energy.
I’ve always tried to be as economical as possible when doing laundry also my work involves advising people how to use machines to best advantage and we’ve always emphasized getting great results while using the minimum amount of power.
Even Dan with his Maytag and very hot water temperature is using less energy because his water heaters are better insulated than they would’ve been if they’ve been made 40 years ago for example.
Wow Eddie I can’t believe $.40 a kilowatt for power if I was paying that kind of money, they would definitely be some changes that front load washer would’ve gone in long ago and I would’ve figured out a way to put a heat pump water heater in, at our age since we have the money to do these things you’re leaving a legacy behind for the next generation helping to fight climate change by investing in these things even if they don’t pay off entirely in our lifetime.
I’m using half the electricity that I used 20 years ago in my house and have not given up any comfort, even on the hottest summer months here I use less than 1500 kW where I used to hit 3000 years ago. Depending on your laundry appliances, there May or may not be easy ways to save energy, modern machines spin the clothes so dry that that minimizes dryer usage. A dryer is still better for the environment than a conventional dryer because of the amount of Carbon produced running a gas dryer, heat pump dryers will eventually win out, but they come at a much greater cost and also repair rate than conventional vented electric or gas dryers. We’re starting to work on heat pump dryers more and they really are clogging themselves up badly and need extensive tear downs and cleanings after as few as five years to keep them working efficiently.
John
Even if we haven’t made any changes to our routine, we’re all using less energy than we once did thanks to the changes in water, heaters machine, design, etc., imposed by the department of energy.
I’ve always tried to be as economical as possible when doing laundry also my work involves advising people how to use machines to best advantage and we’ve always emphasized getting great results while using the minimum amount of power.
Even Dan with his Maytag and very hot water temperature is using less energy because his water heaters are better insulated than they would’ve been if they’ve been made 40 years ago for example.
Wow Eddie I can’t believe $.40 a kilowatt for power if I was paying that kind of money, they would definitely be some changes that front load washer would’ve gone in long ago and I would’ve figured out a way to put a heat pump water heater in, at our age since we have the money to do these things you’re leaving a legacy behind for the next generation helping to fight climate change by investing in these things even if they don’t pay off entirely in our lifetime.
I’m using half the electricity that I used 20 years ago in my house and have not given up any comfort, even on the hottest summer months here I use less than 1500 kW where I used to hit 3000 years ago. Depending on your laundry appliances, there May or may not be easy ways to save energy, modern machines spin the clothes so dry that that minimizes dryer usage. A dryer is still better for the environment than a conventional dryer because of the amount of Carbon produced running a gas dryer, heat pump dryers will eventually win out, but they come at a much greater cost and also repair rate than conventional vented electric or gas dryers. We’re starting to work on heat pump dryers more and they really are clogging themselves up badly and need extensive tear downs and cleanings after as few as five years to keep them working efficiently.
John
SCE TOU-D-PRIME-CARE plan with solar panels. Highest rates are 4:00pm to 9:00pm
NO running the washer, dryer or dishwasher during high rate times. Dishwasher is always programmed to start after 9:00pm.
Meal prep is unavoidable. On time for the induction stove is usually less than an hour a day.
Re: #14
During the summer months we use between 400 to 500 kwh of electricity per mo and during the fall and winter months between 750 to 1250 kwh per mo and thats with electric heat, so we’re already pretty conservative with our power use. A good deal less than the 1500 kwh per mo you’re bragging about.
If there was an FL washer that I liked that would fit into our laundry closet I’d buy it. Perhaps we’d use about 50 fewer kwh per mo with an FL. Doing 3 to 4 loads of laundry a week in our TL using Auto Sense isn’t a wasteful use of either water or electricity. Since we live in a condo heat pumps are not an option, we can’t just start cutting holes into the exterior walls to install heat pumps.
We do the best we can to be conservative with our electric usage given that we live in an all electric home. Fortunately our fairly mild climate in the summer months allows us to comfortably get along without AC, so we aren’t wasting power that way.
Eddie[this post was last edited: 4/8/2024-13:22]
During the summer months we use between 400 to 500 kwh of electricity per mo and during the fall and winter months between 750 to 1250 kwh per mo and thats with electric heat, so we’re already pretty conservative with our power use. A good deal less than the 1500 kwh per mo you’re bragging about.
If there was an FL washer that I liked that would fit into our laundry closet I’d buy it. Perhaps we’d use about 50 fewer kwh per mo with an FL. Doing 3 to 4 loads of laundry a week in our TL using Auto Sense isn’t a wasteful use of either water or electricity. Since we live in a condo heat pumps are not an option, we can’t just start cutting holes into the exterior walls to install heat pumps.
We do the best we can to be conservative with our electric usage given that we live in an all electric home. Fortunately our fairly mild climate in the summer months allows us to comfortably get along without AC, so we aren’t wasting power that way.
Eddie[this post was last edited: 4/8/2024-13:22]
As I mentioned in the past, my gas and electric rates are not terrible. In the summer I pay $20ish a month for gas. Water heater set to maximum, gas cooktop, gas grill and gas dryer. However water is a killer. I pay quarterly and it breaks down to $70/mo!
All toilets are low flush, I only use my Duet for laundry, I have a 3 yo KA DW and so on. You would think being surrounded by the Great Lakes water would be cheap, but no.
All toilets are low flush, I only use my Duet for laundry, I have a 3 yo KA DW and so on. You would think being surrounded by the Great Lakes water would be cheap, but no.
We use anywhere from about 800 to 1100 kWh per month. Daily average is about 29kWh.
Off-Peak: 8.7 cents from 7pm to 7am and all weekend
Mid-peak: 12.2 cents Mon-Fri from 11am to 5pm
Peak Price: 18.2 cents Mon-Fri from 7a.m to 11a.m and then 5pm to 7pm
There's other options like tiered pricing and ultra low Off peak (3cents) with much higher peak prices etc but that wouldn't work for us..
Our monthly bill is always somewhere in the $140 Cdn. range which isn't too bad. Still in all I turn lights off all the time, try to use the dryer after 7 but don't really worry about cooking or using the dishwasher which alway seems to fall in our mid peak .
Off-Peak: 8.7 cents from 7pm to 7am and all weekend
Mid-peak: 12.2 cents Mon-Fri from 11am to 5pm
Peak Price: 18.2 cents Mon-Fri from 7a.m to 11a.m and then 5pm to 7pm
There's other options like tiered pricing and ultra low Off peak (3cents) with much higher peak prices etc but that wouldn't work for us..
Our monthly bill is always somewhere in the $140 Cdn. range which isn't too bad. Still in all I turn lights off all the time, try to use the dryer after 7 but don't really worry about cooking or using the dishwasher which alway seems to fall in our mid peak .
No I haven`t changed my laundry habits and I won`t but I`ve reduced my energy consumption where it really matters like having a less pleasantly heated space in winter which means wearing a thick pullover at home or having a blanket by my couch and so on.
And when weather permits I go by bicycle more often instead of driving short distances by car.
Well, to be honest I tried washing at lower temperatures with increased wash times as a short timed experiment but I didn`t like it so I went back to tried and true.
I can be very cheap too but generally I think it makes more sense to save on Euros than on Cents. To me it isn`t worth to change something that important (LOL) like a good laundry routine just to save a few cents per load.
And when weather permits I go by bicycle more often instead of driving short distances by car.
Well, to be honest I tried washing at lower temperatures with increased wash times as a short timed experiment but I didn`t like it so I went back to tried and true.
I can be very cheap too but generally I think it makes more sense to save on Euros than on Cents. To me it isn`t worth to change something that important (LOL) like a good laundry routine just to save a few cents per load.
I use Extra Hot/Heavy/2x rinse on everything
I think the added energy usage is negligible with this combo, since it's a front load. I prioritize deep cleaning and sanitizing over saving maybe two or four bucks in the course of a month. My washer (LG WM3900, recently replaced a 6yo LG-made Kenmore FL) usually reaches 160 after about 20 minutes into the wash cycle. With Persil or Tide Hygienic (plus bleach for whites) nothing stands a chance.
As for water usage, front loads have always been water efficient since they came out in the 1940s or whenever. Even with two extra rinses my machine comes out ahead.
I will say that I rarely have to dry anything longer than 30 minutes, since the max spin leaves everything pretty well extracted.
I think the added energy usage is negligible with this combo, since it's a front load. I prioritize deep cleaning and sanitizing over saving maybe two or four bucks in the course of a month. My washer (LG WM3900, recently replaced a 6yo LG-made Kenmore FL) usually reaches 160 after about 20 minutes into the wash cycle. With Persil or Tide Hygienic (plus bleach for whites) nothing stands a chance.
As for water usage, front loads have always been water efficient since they came out in the 1940s or whenever. Even with two extra rinses my machine comes out ahead.
I will say that I rarely have to dry anything longer than 30 minutes, since the max spin leaves everything pretty well extracted.
I try
But washing hasn’t changed. I still use hot wash warm rinse for whites ect
T.L machine. (Gas water heater)
Line drying is about the best I can do. (Electric dryer)
I don’t know how to read the new smart meter, but when we still had analog meters, I noticed how fast it turned when running the clothes dryer vs having all lights on in the house!
Since then, I try to line dry as much as I can as I’m guessing the dryer is a big hog?
But washing hasn’t changed. I still use hot wash warm rinse for whites ect
T.L machine. (Gas water heater)
Line drying is about the best I can do. (Electric dryer)
I don’t know how to read the new smart meter, but when we still had analog meters, I noticed how fast it turned when running the clothes dryer vs having all lights on in the house!
Since then, I try to line dry as much as I can as I’m guessing the dryer is a big hog?
Maybe
The dryer isn’t a hog?
Years back I just was shocked at seeing that meter spin.
I’m guessing about a $1.80 per load here in Ca?
Eddie..am I figuring this right?
The dryer isn’t a hog?
Years back I just was shocked at seeing that meter spin.
I’m guessing about a $1.80 per load here in Ca?
Eddie..am I figuring this right?
I mean, there are certain usage statistics that are relatively even across every part of the earth with similar climate conditions.
You need to know what uses how much and then work through the high usage items step by step.
Heating is usually the biggest energy usage.
I live on a tiny 322sqft and still use about 1000kWh a year for heating even though target temp this winter was 16C/61F only raising the bathroom to 21,5C/71F for showering every second day.
Then the question is what you heat with. If you are already heating with gas - like this apartment complex is - you can't really go cheaper.
If you are heating with resistive heat and have central air like common in the US, going for a heatpump next time around just makes sense. Dosen't need to fully replace you current heat source - the same size as your current air conditioner will usually work perfectly fine 80-95% of your heating season.
But biggest saving is just mediating temps and having good heat control with good programming - keeping your house at 70F the entire day if you're gone for 8h and sleeping for 8h is pretty useless.
There are edge cases of course. My mum has under floor hydronic heating, so switching temps during the day does very little.
The same goes with hot water.
If you are going with gas hot water, very little saving potential.
If you have electric, heat pump next time around etc.
Same with temp holding. Because my mum lived alone for some time now in the house we shared as 7 a decade ago, our hot water storage was way oversized. Solution? It only heated for an hour a day in the early morning. Because it was very well insulated it only dropped like 20F max in 24h and she barely used a tenth of it on a weekday.
I use a maximum of like 50kWh of warm water a month with an average around 30kWh, so even if I cut that in half, that's not even a day's worth of winter heating.
Next is refrigeration.
It's usually quite a huge, but forgotten load.
Switching from a fridge that uses 2kWh a day (which isn't unbelievable with US fridges) to something that uses half (1kWh a day) saves the equivalent of some 50 full loads in a US vented dryer.
Washing can be a huge difference aswell.
When a TL uses 20gal of hot water, where a FL uses only half that in total, you can cut your hot water usage in 1/4th there as well.
Scale that by the number of loads you do.
My machine uses 1 to 1.2kWh in energy for a full load on "hot" (140F) all included and only about 0.5-0.6kWh on "warm" (104F).
Drying of course is the whole heat pump thing. The new LG full size heat pump dryer has a rated connected load of below 900W. A full size dryer is like 5kW.
Sure it doesn't heat non stop - but just keep in mind you can run the LG 4-5 times as long as the vented dryer with the same energy usage and you see why even doubling dry time still saves 50% or more.
Cooking is actually a matter aswell, but not quite as much as one thinks.
Our ovens use about 1kWh for 1h of baking. Running a microwave for an hour is like a max of 1.5kWh. Pan cooking isn't that much of a usage as it's usually quite a short time and not a full power for long.
Dishwashing then is another matter.
I pay about 0,5 cents per liter of cold water.
My DW uses 1kWh running of of cold and 0.5kWh on hot. Water usage is about 1/3 of the energy usage of that cycle.
In comparison, even on the highest water usage cycles, my washing machine uses about the same in water as in energy.
It's really about looking where you actually use a lot of energy and where you can save it.
That also means where you are willing to sacrifice something to save.
And if you aren't willing to sacrifice in any way, well, that's that.
You need to know what uses how much and then work through the high usage items step by step.
Heating is usually the biggest energy usage.
I live on a tiny 322sqft and still use about 1000kWh a year for heating even though target temp this winter was 16C/61F only raising the bathroom to 21,5C/71F for showering every second day.
Then the question is what you heat with. If you are already heating with gas - like this apartment complex is - you can't really go cheaper.
If you are heating with resistive heat and have central air like common in the US, going for a heatpump next time around just makes sense. Dosen't need to fully replace you current heat source - the same size as your current air conditioner will usually work perfectly fine 80-95% of your heating season.
But biggest saving is just mediating temps and having good heat control with good programming - keeping your house at 70F the entire day if you're gone for 8h and sleeping for 8h is pretty useless.
There are edge cases of course. My mum has under floor hydronic heating, so switching temps during the day does very little.
The same goes with hot water.
If you are going with gas hot water, very little saving potential.
If you have electric, heat pump next time around etc.
Same with temp holding. Because my mum lived alone for some time now in the house we shared as 7 a decade ago, our hot water storage was way oversized. Solution? It only heated for an hour a day in the early morning. Because it was very well insulated it only dropped like 20F max in 24h and she barely used a tenth of it on a weekday.
I use a maximum of like 50kWh of warm water a month with an average around 30kWh, so even if I cut that in half, that's not even a day's worth of winter heating.
Next is refrigeration.
It's usually quite a huge, but forgotten load.
Switching from a fridge that uses 2kWh a day (which isn't unbelievable with US fridges) to something that uses half (1kWh a day) saves the equivalent of some 50 full loads in a US vented dryer.
Washing can be a huge difference aswell.
When a TL uses 20gal of hot water, where a FL uses only half that in total, you can cut your hot water usage in 1/4th there as well.
Scale that by the number of loads you do.
My machine uses 1 to 1.2kWh in energy for a full load on "hot" (140F) all included and only about 0.5-0.6kWh on "warm" (104F).
Drying of course is the whole heat pump thing. The new LG full size heat pump dryer has a rated connected load of below 900W. A full size dryer is like 5kW.
Sure it doesn't heat non stop - but just keep in mind you can run the LG 4-5 times as long as the vented dryer with the same energy usage and you see why even doubling dry time still saves 50% or more.
Cooking is actually a matter aswell, but not quite as much as one thinks.
Our ovens use about 1kWh for 1h of baking. Running a microwave for an hour is like a max of 1.5kWh. Pan cooking isn't that much of a usage as it's usually quite a short time and not a full power for long.
Dishwashing then is another matter.
I pay about 0,5 cents per liter of cold water.
My DW uses 1kWh running of of cold and 0.5kWh on hot. Water usage is about 1/3 of the energy usage of that cycle.
In comparison, even on the highest water usage cycles, my washing machine uses about the same in water as in energy.
It's really about looking where you actually use a lot of energy and where you can save it.
That also means where you are willing to sacrifice something to save.
And if you aren't willing to sacrifice in any way, well, that's that.
Re:22
Stan you're pretty close on how much it cost to run a dryer here in Northern California. It’s right around $1.50 a load on tier 1 level and damn close to $1.80 at tier 2. Anything that generates heat are BIG consumers of electricity.
BTW to access the readings of your PG&E SMART meter go to the PG&E website and log onto your account by creating a user name and password that is linked to your account number. Then you can see how much you are using both in kwh’s and dollars and cents hourly, daily and monthly. It’s quite enlightening to see just how much you are using according to what appliances you are using at the time.
Eddie
Stan you're pretty close on how much it cost to run a dryer here in Northern California. It’s right around $1.50 a load on tier 1 level and damn close to $1.80 at tier 2. Anything that generates heat are BIG consumers of electricity.
BTW to access the readings of your PG&E SMART meter go to the PG&E website and log onto your account by creating a user name and password that is linked to your account number. Then you can see how much you are using both in kwh’s and dollars and cents hourly, daily and monthly. It’s quite enlightening to see just how much you are using according to what appliances you are using at the time.
Eddie
launderess
Well-known member
" I noticed how fast it turned when running the clothes dryer vs having all lights on in the house!"
Generally anything electric that generates heat (or removes it to create cold) consumes moderate to vast amounts of energy. Things like light blubs aren't that huge of a demand draw.
Heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, water heating, cooking (range top, oven or various other appliances), and so forth usually are largest consumers of electricity.
This was not lost upon certain generators or suppliers of electric power back in day. They sold (or in some instances gave away IIIRC) large appliances with good reason. Those appliances would create demand and owners would pay higher electricity bills.
In many parts of USA fuel of choice for say clothes dryers, heating, hot water, cooking, etc... depends upon what is cheaper; gas or electric. That and of course what is available.
Plenty of homes in northeast would love gas for heating, cooking, heating, hot water.... which usually is cheaper than electric. But their street/area doesn't have natural gas service so that limits their options.
You want to see an electric meter spin? Plug in and fire up a vintage roaster say from Westinghouse.
Generally anything electric that generates heat (or removes it to create cold) consumes moderate to vast amounts of energy. Things like light blubs aren't that huge of a demand draw.
Heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, water heating, cooking (range top, oven or various other appliances), and so forth usually are largest consumers of electricity.
This was not lost upon certain generators or suppliers of electric power back in day. They sold (or in some instances gave away IIIRC) large appliances with good reason. Those appliances would create demand and owners would pay higher electricity bills.
In many parts of USA fuel of choice for say clothes dryers, heating, hot water, cooking, etc... depends upon what is cheaper; gas or electric. That and of course what is available.
Plenty of homes in northeast would love gas for heating, cooking, heating, hot water.... which usually is cheaper than electric. But their street/area doesn't have natural gas service so that limits their options.
You want to see an electric meter spin? Plug in and fire up a vintage roaster say from Westinghouse.
ryner1988
Well-known member
We have a gas furnace as well as a gas tankless water heater. So, honestly the electric bill stays pretty tame except when we have to run the air conditioning in the summer. And we have to run it, because Indiana summers can be brutal. As far as laundry goes, I can't say we've changed much of anything except machines in the past few months. I generally do two loads of clothes per week in warm water, and a load of towels in hot. Every three weeks, I wash three sets of full-size bedding in one load. They are really thin sheets so they all fit easily. I almost always use the auto sense fill on my TL washer unless I'm washing blankets or spreads, and I generally do that once a season or so.
Last month, we used about 450 KWH of electricity (that's an approximation, for the exact amount I'd have to look), and the bill was $79. It usually fluctuates about $10 in either direction of this amount, except for the summer when it's usually somewhere around $100. Gas is usually around $50 in winter, but goes down to roughly $20 in summer.
So, I'd say our prices are pretty fair.
Ryne
Last month, we used about 450 KWH of electricity (that's an approximation, for the exact amount I'd have to look), and the bill was $79. It usually fluctuates about $10 in either direction of this amount, except for the summer when it's usually somewhere around $100. Gas is usually around $50 in winter, but goes down to roughly $20 in summer.
So, I'd say our prices are pretty fair.
Ryne
Looking Sharp uses electricity...
The iron is the small appliance that uses the most electricity.
The iron is the small appliance that uses the most electricity.
Thanks Eddie. Never knew that
It seems like when I noticed the spinning meter was back around 1999 2000 I think ?
At the time there were brown outs happening in Ca and at the time I had a Maytag set..the old copper colored set.
The neighbor had a brand new G.E set.
We both were trying to see what used the most electricity.
We were turning things on and off in our houses and taking notice of the spinning. We both decided that our dryers were kind of a hog while in use.
I remember helping her string up a clothesline when she saw how fast her brand new dyer spun her meter!
And we were both surprised to see that her new “energy saving” dryer spun the meter just as fast as my old Maytag. All very high tech analysis LOL
Ryne. I wish we had your energy rates! Here PG&E has seen fit to raise both gas and electric rates
(Poor things.. those CEOS at PG&E are just scraping by ya know)
We’re stringing up cloth lines and they're fartin in silk!
It seems like when I noticed the spinning meter was back around 1999 2000 I think ?
At the time there were brown outs happening in Ca and at the time I had a Maytag set..the old copper colored set.
The neighbor had a brand new G.E set.
We both were trying to see what used the most electricity.
We were turning things on and off in our houses and taking notice of the spinning. We both decided that our dryers were kind of a hog while in use.
I remember helping her string up a clothesline when she saw how fast her brand new dyer spun her meter!
And we were both surprised to see that her new “energy saving” dryer spun the meter just as fast as my old Maytag. All very high tech analysis LOL
Ryne. I wish we had your energy rates! Here PG&E has seen fit to raise both gas and electric rates
(Poor things.. those CEOS at PG&E are just scraping by ya know)
We’re stringing up cloth lines and they're fartin in silk!
launderess
Well-known member
One of stated reasons (or benefits if you will) of rinsing laundry in warm water is supposedly it causes dryer to use less energy.
Back in 1970's or so with energy crisis in full flow Consumers Report and others said while a small amount of energy was saved by dryer not having to heat "cold" laundry (and thus coming up to temp faster), heating water consumed more energy. In their view allowing dryer to do it's thing still resulted in energy savings over using warm water for rinsing.
Back in 1970's or so with energy crisis in full flow Consumers Report and others said while a small amount of energy was saved by dryer not having to heat "cold" laundry (and thus coming up to temp faster), heating water consumed more energy. In their view allowing dryer to do it's thing still resulted in energy savings over using warm water for rinsing.
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