Doing laundry is the second biggest use of water in most homes. Your washing machine has a big impact on your water and energy bills.

• Install Efficient Clothes Washers
• Other Water-Saving Steps
• Resources

For as little as $500, you can upgrade to a clothes washer that uses less water and energy. Resource-efficient WashWise machines also are gentler on clothes, require less detergent, rinse more thoroughly, and shorten drying time by spinning out more water. For information on rebates for WashWise clothes washers, call 1-866-632-4636, email WashWiseRebate@peci.org or visit the WashWise website.

• Wash full loads. In general, the washer drum should be full to the top. You can save up to 2,000 gallons of water a year-and save time with fewer loads.
• Replace older faucet nozzles (aerators) with new ones that are rated at 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm), or less. Aerators cost only a few dollars.
• Collect water that runs before it's hot, and reuse-such as for watering plants.