Green Kitchen Renovations: Saving Water and Electricity in Your Kitchen

Green Kitchen Renovations: Saving Water and Electricity in Your Kitchen
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Green Kitchen Overview

So many of our day to day activities take place in the kitchen. Cooking, cleaning, dishwashing, and baking all use a lot of water and electricity. Green kitchen renovations help save money by saving water and electricity each and every day on the things you always do. If you wish to save a significant amount of green, consider at least one of these three green kitchen renovations.

Energy Star Appliances

If you are in need of new appliances consider buying Energy Star appliances. You can determine if a product is an Energy Star product if it bears a distinctive logo on the packaging and on the product itself. These appliances have been certified by the government and are very energy efficient. Oftentimes Energy Star appliances are more expensive than their non-certified counterparts. It is estimated that you can save up to $75 annually on your energy bill by using Energy Star appliances. The money you will save on water and energy will more than offset the additional purchase price discrepancy over the life of the appliance. For more information on the Energy Star program, you can visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy website.

Efficient Faucets

If you have an older home, it may be worthwhile to invest in new kitchen faucets. Most kitchen faucets these days are required to deliver no more than 2.5 gallons per minute of water. In the past, there were no limitations. Making sure that you select a faucet that restricts water delivery to no more than 1.5 gallons per minute is a great way to save money on your monthly water bill. Most faucet manufacturers such as Delta and Kohler have models available that are made with water efficiency in mind.

Efficient Lightbulbs

No matter what type of lighting you have in your kitchen there is an energy efficient light bulb that will meet your needs. Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) are available in a wide variety of sizes. Regular CFL light bulbs look like white curly-q’s. There are various ceiling fan light bulbs and track lighting options available as well. If you have track or recessed lighting that uses a dimmer, make sure that you purchase a track lighting bulb that specifies that it can be used with a dimmer. Each regular light bulb that is replaced with a CFL could save you up to $30 in energy costs annually.