The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy
Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price
or for free. This post contains affiliate links and the reviewer
will receive a commission if you click on a link and make a
purchase.
Every April as Earth Day nears, many of us wonder what little things (or big things) we can do in our home to benefit the environment. Recycling, composting and conserving are all fairly easy things that come to mind. A big way to save both energy and water is buy replacing an old washer and dryer. A few years ago we replaced our top loading, 15 year old set (which died) with a front loading LG set and wow did we see a difference. Now I'm not saying you should toss a perfectly good, working appliance, but if you're in need of a replacement, Best Buy has a wide selection of Energy Star certified models to choose from. And remember that if your old model still works, there are plenty of places who would take it as a donation (my mom donated hers to a local animal shelter).
Why Energy Star?
I know it's common to wonder just how much of a difference and Energy Star certified washer or dryer can make over an older model that is not Energy Star. Here is a brief breakdown on what you can expect, then make sure you check out Earth Day on Best Buy for deals on Energy Star certified appliances.
Energy Star certified Washers:
- On average, a new Energy Star certified clothes washer uses 280 KWh of electricity and can save you $40 a year on your utility bills compared to a standard model.
- A full-sized Energy Star certified clothes washer uses 13 gallons of water per load, compared to the 23 gallons used by a standard machine, saving more than 3,000 gallons of water, per year!
- Washers built before 2003 are significantly less efficient than newer models. If you have a standard clothes washer that is over 10 years old, it's costing you, on average $180 a year.
Energy Star certified Dryers
- Use 20 percent less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features or performance
- Use sensor drying, not timed drying. Energy Star dryer models incorporate advanced moisture sensors to help you reduce your dryer’s energy use. This feature ensures that your dryer will automatically shut off when clothes are dry
- Longer drying cycles on a low heat setting use less energy. When you purchase an Energy Star certified clothes dryer, look in the informational materials shipped with the product for which cycle was tested for certification and how the dryer’s other cycles or settings may use more or less energy. (I personally always use the low heat setting on our Energy Star LG dryer).
A very cool new washer and dryer pairing to check out right now are the LG Twin Wash and Sidekick. The LG Twin Wash lets you was two loads of laundry at the same time. Hang on, that needs repeating: AT THE SAME TIME! That is simply awesome. While your full size load is working up top in the main tub, you can put a smaller load in the Sidekick pedestal. This is really perfect for things like delicates or even workout gear. I love this concept. As someone who is at the gym 4-5 days a week, I do a lot of smaller loads and honestly, it's wasteful. The Sidekick pedestal is just the right size for this. Plus the Sidekick can be paired with almost any LG front load washer, so you can add it to the model you already have at home.
