The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offers these simple energy savings tips to consumers looking for ways to cut energy bills this summer. 

The energy consumed by home appliances has dropped sharply since 2000. Refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers combined account for a 43% decrease in energy consumption since 2000. Replacing an eight-year-old refrigerator, dishwasher and clothes washer with new models of average efficiency will save consumers more than $95.00 per year in energy bills. Replacing an eight-year-old clothes washer will save more than $60.00 in electricity costs and nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year. Additional savings can be obtained by purchasing Energy Star appliances.

You can increase your energy savings by:

• Replacing your refrigerator. Do not use the old refrigerator as a second refrigerator. This will not yield energy savings. Properly recycle the appliance. To find recycling options in your area, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.
• Allowing hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator; and covering foods that may release moisture in the refrigerator.
• Limiting opening the refrigerator and freezer doors. Label foods or use clear food storage bags to easily identify foods.
• Scraping, but not pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning soiled dishes.
• Taking advantage of your dishwasher's "eco" option that reduces water use, or using a no-heat air dry feature.
• Using load size settings -- if you are washing a small load of clothing, be sure to change the load setting. Use cold water settings whenever possible.
• Always cleaning the lint filter on the clothes dryer after each use. A clogged filter will reduce dryer performance.