Take an Energy-Saving Tumble

published 31 July 2007

What was the most suggested idea from readers in our "What Would You Do With $1,000?" contest last year? Buy an energy-saving appliance. Our choice is a high-efficiency, front-loading clothes washer.

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Front-loaders, which tumble clothes into a small pool of soapy water in the bottom of the wash drum, use 30% to 60% less water than a top-loader and 50% to 70% less energy (nearly all the energy used by washers goes toward heating the wash water).

A front-loader will cost at least $300 to $400 more than a top-loader, but according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, it'll pay for its extra cost in utility-bill savings within the first few years of its 13- to 15-year life span. Check out Kenmore's HE2t and Bosch's Nexxt 500 Series. The suggested retail price on each is $1,100, but a little shopping will reveal discounts and rebates that drop the price below $1,000.

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Esswein joined Kiplinger in May 1984 as director of special publications and managing editor of Kiplinger Books. In 2004, she began covering real estate for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, writing about the housing market, buying and selling a home, getting a mortgage, and home improvement. Prior to joining Kiplinger, Esswein wrote and edited for Empire Sports, a monthly magazine covering sports and recreation in upstate New York. She holds a BA degree from Gustavus Adolphus College, in St. Peter, Minn., and an MA in magazine journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University.