Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

As far as energy and water goes, the kitchen is one of the most demanding rooms in the house. You’ve got appliances that are always on (refrigerator) and others that are used many times a day. This is a great place to start if you’re looking to save money on energy and water costs. Even the typical dishwasher can be improved upon.

For instance, this Hobart under-counter dishwasher features a booster heater.

This addition (which you can find on several dishwashers on the market) is either attached to or mounted inside your appliance, and it heats only the water going straight to your dishes. The “machine-specific boost” lets you turn your household water heater down a couple notches while still knowing that your plates and glasses are being cleaned with steamy hot water.

According to The Earth-Friendly Home, a booster heater can lower the cost of running your dishwasher (since most of the energy used is for heating water) as much as 80%.