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Kitchen
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The recommended temperature for your refrigerator is between 10°F and 42°F, while the recommended temperature for the freezer is between 0°F and 5°F. |
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Don't let the frost in your refrigerator get more than 1/4" thick. Frost acts as an insulator and forces your fridge or freezer to work harder. Auto-defrost refrigerators take care of this problem for you but use more energy. |
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Turn Power Save to OFF and set the Humidity Control to DRY. (These switches control a heater that prevents sweating or condensation around the refrigerator door in humid geographic areas.) |
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Make sure your refrigerator and freezer doors seal airtight. Close a dollar bill or piece of paper in the door. If it pulls out easily, your refrigerator may need a door hinge adjustment or a new gasket. |
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Vacuum the refrigerator coils twice a year (or more if you have long-haired pets). Dirty coils make the refrigerator work harder and use more energy. |
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Get a pan ready to go and place it on the burner before you turn on the heat. And don't forget to turn the heat off when you're through using it. |
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Use the right pan for the job. Foods will cook faster and at a lower temperature if you use pots and pans with flat bottoms and tight-fitting lids. |
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Oversized and undersized pans waste energy. |
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Don't pre-heat the oven unless you need to. Preheat only for baked foods that require precise temperatures, such as cakes, cookies, and breads. Casseroles, roasts, broiled foods, and other dishes don't need to go into a warm oven. |
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Follow the recipe and use the oven light as your guideline for timing. Every time you open the oven to check on your dish, about 25 degrees of heat escape. |
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Turn your oven off about five minutes before the allotted cooking time is up. Leave the door closed to retain heat. |
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Microwave ovens use approximately half the energy of conventional ovens. |
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Run your dishwasher only when full. |
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Use your dishwasher's automatic energy-saving cool-dry cycle. If your machine doesn't have this feature, turn it off manually after the final rinse and let the dishes air dry. Air-drying your dishes reduces your dishwasher's energy usage by 40%. |
