Week 1

This Week

Showers : 21

Dishwasher cycles: 6 (on eco setting)

Washing machine: 8 (on eco setting, using cold water)

Lights on at night: approx. 14 (usually kitchen/loungeroom only - we have small inbuilt ceiling light fixtures)

Bins of rubbish: 5 (small bin)

Meat products bought: 2

Bins of recycling: 1/2 (large bin)

I have told my housemates about the Eco Challenge and they have all been enthusiastic to get on board and help me with my project. We all had less showers this week and reduced the amount of time spent per shower by a few minutes each. Everyone has been especially conscious of turning off the lights when not in the room (even for a few minutes). I am really pleased with everyone's attitude towards the challenge so far.

The Eco Setting

This week I have decided to start off my journal by exploring the 'eco setting'. On a lot of modern appliances there is the option of an eco setting and it is something that my housemates and I use when doing a dishwasher cycle and putting on a load of washing. However, I have never really known exactly how it made the cycle more eco-friendly. This is what I found:

On a washing machine the eco setting alters the water temperature. It usually runs a longer cycle at a lower temperature or heats the water to the same temperature as your regular wash but takes longer to do so. (Chadwick, 2012)

Is it worth it? The eco setting on a washing machine is not always the most energy efficient cycle.  Washing clothes at 30 degrees or under uses 40% less energy than washing at a higher temperature (Energy Saving Trust, 2014) so sometimes simply choosing a cold wash is more effective than using the eco button depending on your washing machine. Front loader washing machines are also more energy efficient in comparison to top loaders. Top loaders need enough water to cover all the clothes inside the drum whereas a front loader is set horizontally so no where near as much water is needed as water is distributed evenly as gravity pulls the clothes downward. A top loader can spin as fast as 1000rpm whereas a front loader reaches only 650rpm on an average cycle. (Chadwick, 2012)

The eco cycle on a dishwasher works much the same as a washing machine by heating the water more slowly over a longer period of time. By using an eco option you can reduce the washer’s energy consumption by 20%. (Chadwick, 2012) 

My findings from doing a little bit of research have concluded that we should continue using the eco setting on all our appliances. It is useful to know how and why energy is saved. In the future I would definitely buy a front-loader washing machine rather than our current old model top-loader.