Energy Star Microwave Ovens

I always dread electricity bills, especially around the holiday season when the kitchen is over-used and electrical appliances around the house keep running throughout the day. Regular kitchen appliances like the blender, refrigerator, oven, etc. use up a lot of energy. And this eventually reflects on the electricity bill.

So, this time when I refurbished my kitchen, I decided to switch them with eco-friendly and Energy Star certified gadgets instead. Not only will these gadgets help you conserve electricity, they drastically reduce your monthly expenditures too. Here’s a list of energy draw and cost that various household appliances draw:

• The approx average wattage for microwave ovens is about 1,500. On an average, a microwave used for about 5 hours at 8 kilowatts, costs about $0.58. The high usage cost can be around $3.49. In comparison the Energy Star microwave ovens cost of operation and energy consumption is much lower.
• The approx average wattage for clothes dryer is about 5,000. On an average, the dryer is used at low levels for about 6 hours at 30 kilowatts/ hour, resulting in a cost of $2.33. If used for 28 hours then the costs would come to $10.86.
• An 1,800 wattage with a 14 kilowatt/ hour usage costs $1.12 and $5.59 for 72 kilowatt/ hour usage

Energy Star certified appliances don’t cost you more. But in the long run, they drastically reduce your electricity bills and help you save more. And all of this is done with the focus on conserving energy and creating a greener environment.

When you think about fast food, eco-friendly probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But a dozen restaurants have LEED-certified locations across the nation and even the globe. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, rates and certifies buildings based on a variety of green architectural, consumption and production factors.Here’s the list of large chain restaurants with some LEED-certified franchises.

1)      Subway
2)      Arby’s
3)      McDonald’s
4)      Starbuck’s
5)      Dunkin Donuts
6)      Chipotle

And here are a few lesser known restaurants with LEED certification.

7)      Xoco
8)      Red Stag Supper Club
9)      Founding Farmers
10)   Pizza Fusion
11)   Boomarang Bistro and Bar

It’s not easy to be LEED-certified, but hopefully this trend among even large fast food chains indicates that attention to the environment in the food services industry is on the rise. With just a few small changes, fast food restaurants can do their part to save the planet. Want to make a difference? Try only patronizing fast food restaurants that use a cooking oil filter instead of starting fresh each day with new oil.

And when you grab food on the go, try carrying a lunch bag purse instead of using disposable containers and utensils. Later, if you need to reheat something, use only energy star microwave ovens. You can observe these simple rules at home, or pressure your workplace to join the twenty-first century and go green!

-Emma