Well. We are basically moved in and settled. We have weathered and very much enjoyed our first holiday. Now we are looking around to see what we can do to make this townhouse as environmentally efficient as possible. But where to start?
The decision was made for us. Start with the first thing that broke…the washing machine.
Back in the suburbs we had a washer that was 15 years old. It was not Energy Star rated and was estimated to consume 938 kWh per year or approximately $78 a year. Our new washer is an Energy Star unit that is estimated to consume 135 kWh per year with an estimated annual energy cost of $11 (when used with a gas hot water heater which is what we now have). That is a $66/90% annual savings – this may be even greater given we only wash with cold water. Wow.
Set on large, our suburban washer used 36 gallons of water per load. The new washer is designed to sense needed water and is estimated to use 9.1 gallons per load. Annualized to match the energy savings, this equates to a potential water savings of 10,760 gallons. At our current water rate that is an annual savings of $96.
We also bought a new dryer to go with the washer. Today’s dryers may better than they were when they were invented but they are not the most efficient appliances in your house. We chose an electric unit in place of the existing gas because we eventually want to install a solar system on the house and because we wanted to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We also chose a condensing unit so that the outside vent could be closed off. We use the clothes line for most of our loads but when we use the dryer it works beautifully – as a bonus it exhausts its heat into the house making the upstairs toasty warm.
One thing that was amazing about getting the new washer/dryer set was the delivery. At our old house there was one step to get into the laundry room. The delivery folk could roll their dolly right through the garage, up one step and boom done. They would also complain a lot about that step, the width of the door, the lack of space in the laundry room to maneuver…
Here in the city the units are on the second floor – up 16 steps, around two corners and are installed in a closet. Plus the truck was parked half a block away. The two delivery guys got the old units out and the new ones installed in under 15 minutes and took the time to teach me all about how they operate – no muss, no fuss. The city may not always be as efficient as one might want but I have been impressed with every tradesperson I have encountered.
