12 energy-saving devices to help lower your monthly bills

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Air conditioning, refrigeration, automatic dishwashing and laundry: All these modern conveniences are irreplaceable parts of our lives, but they can also contribute to expensive energy bills. If you’re hoping to save more money, or if you’re still using an old and outdated appliance, upgrading it can significantly reduce your carbon footprint, as well as your energy costs. From smart thermostats to portable air conditioners, these energy-saving devices can help you live comfortably, use less energy and save more money.

In this article: Ecobee ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat, LG High-Efficiency Stackable Front-Load Washer with 6Motion Technology and Amazon Smart Plug

Energy-efficient upgrades

Upgrading to a newer appliance not only means improved features and performance, it often comes with a huge improvement in energy consumption. For example, it’s estimated that refrigerators that are at least 15 years old use twice as much energy as newer ones, while newer dishwashers use about half the water and energy compared to older ones.

Many new appliances are also Energy Star-certified, which means they meet performance requirements and energy usage criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency. These appliances, available in 40 product categories, have been tested and reviewed by a third party to ensure they meet these criteria. Since the Energy Star program was introduced in 1992, it’s estimated to have reduced energy costs by $500 billion dollars while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 4 billion metric tons.

Consider these other energy-saving features as you shop for a new appliance.

• Air fryers or air-frying toasters: These compact appliances cook food more quickly and efficiently than ovens, resulting in a lower cost to run.
• Where your fridge’s freezer is matters: Top- and bottom-freezer refrigerators are the most energy-efficient models.
• Induction wins: Induction ranges are more energy-efficient than electric and gas models. However, both coil and smooth-top electric ranges are more efficient than gas.
• Install a ceiling fan: Ceiling fans use very little energy and can help you save on your energy bills in both summer and winter.

Energy-efficient tips for home

You don’t need all-new, top-of-the-line appliances to save money on your energy bill. Using your appliances wisely, monitoring your heating and cooling practices, and other steps can help you save money without having to replace every appliance in your home.

Try these energy-efficient home tricks:

• Insulate and seal gaps: Check your home for gaps and cracks around doors and windows and in your attic and basement, if you have one.
• Use the convection setting: When possible, run your oven on convection mode, which uses up to 20% less energy compared to the standard baking mode.
• Launder with cold water: Washing your clothes in cold water saves energy and gets clothing just as clean, especially if you use a cold-water detergent.
• Freeze your own ice: Automatic icemakers and through-the-door ice and water dispensers consume up to 20% more energy than refrigerators without these features.
• Check for tax credits: You may be eligible for a tax break for switching to energy-efficient home features such as a new water heater, home insulation, windows and more.

Best energy-saving devices

DeLonghi Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner

Powerful and portable, this air conditioner comes with a remote, wheels and a window kit so you can use it anywhere. It can serve as a dehumidifier and a fan as well as an air conditioner, with enough power to cool rooms up to 500 square feet. This quiet-running model boasts 17% great energy efficiency over the previous generation.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

This thermostat learns your your routines and adjusts to prioritize energy usage for when clean or more affordable energy is available. View your energy usage history and make adjustments using your phone or voice controls. It’s available in five different finishes to blend in with your decor.

Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max Smart Air Purifier

Purify the air in a medium-sized room in about 12 minutes with this quiet, dual-filtration air purifier. It removes more than 99.97% of airborne particles and features app and voice controls. Filter tracking helps you know the best time to replace the filter.

Echo Dot 5th-Generation Smart Speaker

With its improved sound and helpful connectivity options, the Echo Dot lets you control smart appliances and enjoy music throughout your space. Create light and temperature routines to run your home more efficiently.  Available in three colors.

Ecobee ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat

This smart thermostat can help your household save up to 23% on your energy bill. By linking this smart thermostat with an Ecobee security system, it can even pause your heating or cooling when it detects you have doors or windows open.

Wyze RGB and Tunable White Smart Bulb 2-Pack

Choose from 16 million possible colors, control the shades of white and pick your ideal brightness while saving energy with these LED bulbs. Use the app controls to adjust timing, create mood scenes and even use the lights for colorful notifications.

Amazon Smart Plug

Optimize the energy usage in your home and transform almost any appliance into a smart one using this plug. Lamps, fans, coffee makers and other appliances can be programmed and automated through the Alexa app.

Honeywell HYF260 QuietSet Whole Room Tower Fan

With its sturdy base and compact footprint, this tower fan features five levels of cooling, sound and power settings, allowing you to lessen your reliance on air conditioning to cool a room. It comes with a remote control to adjust the breeze from anywhere.

LG High-Efficiency Stackable Front-Load Washer with 6Motion Technology

This washing machine boasts a large 4.5-cubic-foot capacity and six washing motions to clean clothes more effectively, even in cold water. Its 30-inch depth fits into smaller spaces and it can be stacked with the corresponding LG dryer or pedestal washer.

LG 9.0-Cu.-Ft. Stackable Smart Electric Dryer with Steam and Built-In Intelligence

Not only is this dryer large enough to dry a king-size comforter plus bedding, it can choose the best drying motion and temperature for each load. It also features a wrinkle-removing steam setting, app controls, a reversible door and quiet operation.

LG 27-Inch Smart Electric Single-Unit WashTower

This tower model saves you floor space, as well as energy and money, thanks to its Energy Star certification. The 4.5-cubic-foot washer and 7.4-cubic-foot dryer both feature automatic wash and dry setting selection and app controls. The estimated yearly cost to run this appliance is just $13.

P3 P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor

If you’re trying to diagnose energy overusage or simply want to know how much energy a particular appliance uses, plug it into this monitor to measure its electrical usage by day, week, month or year. It calculates energy expenses and displays volts, amps or wattage accurate to within 0.2%.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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