Tech Brand Talk

While some moms may appreciate a new, energy-efficient appliance as a Mother’s Day gift, your best bet might be cooking a great meal for mom.

While you’re in the kitchen, consider the tools and appliances you’re using and whether it’s time to upgrade to new, energy-efficient versions. You won’t just save energy and money, you’ll get some great new features as well.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have kicked off and I’m sure more than one person is talking about a new TV to better enjoy the Canucks’ run into the post season. 

Here’s a quick look at features and energy technologies that can help you buy the right TV.

Gizmo junkies love the new year, because it’s time for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES)  in Las Vegas.  And I’ve hunted down a few cool products announced at CES that have energy savings impacts.

The holidays are here and for many of us, that means new gadgets will appear at home and almost certainly on your next electricity bill. Make your holiday season an energy-efficient one with these 12 tips.

It was one year ago this month that I wrote a blog about the extreme amounts of energy consumed by the now commonplace, always-on, set top box. I’m glad to say there’s good news to report.

In the last 30 years computers have become a standard appliance in a lot of households, maybe not as integrated as the HAL 9000 of science fiction movie fame, but still pretty important.

When you factor in the peripherals, such as printers and scanners, you might be surprised how much energy computers actually use.  Don’t fret though: with a few simple changes, you can reduce the amount of energy your computing needs require.

In this post, we’ll concentrate on techniques you can use to get your clothes dry while lowering the energy it takes to do it.

Last month, we focused on getting your clothes clean the most energy efficient way. So it only makes sense to follow with with a look at how to dry your clothes.

After the refrigerator, an electric clothes dryer typically uses the most electricity of any appliance in the home.

The challenge is that there’s no ENERGY STAR category for dryers, so you’ll need to consult the EnerGuide label to get a sense of how efficient a unit is.

There’s a lot that can be done to improve energy and water efficiency when washing clothes, from how you wash your clothes, to selecting the right appliance when it’s time to buy a replacement.

There are simple steps to follow with your current washer that will help a lot with energy use reduction. But if you really want to kick it up a notch, there are some great new technologies available that focus on reducing how much energy it takes to make your whites whiter.

That’s why stoves are rarely talked about when discussing energy efficiency. But don’t fret; we have some tips, plus a new technology, that could help keep you cooking while using less energy.

You can’t turn down your oven and expect your cake to bake properly.  And, other than putting a lid on your pot, there’s nothing you can do to save energy while boiling water on the range.

Refrigerators aren’t given too much thought, except when they stop working. But the fact is that older units are some of the largest consumers of electrical energy within a home.

So if you’re looking for a new refrigerator, why not put some thought into getting one that is energy efficient too. Upgrading to an efficient fridge could save you $40 or more each year.