Technological advances for clothes washers in the last decade have led to considerable water and electricity savings.

Efficient washers can cut utility bills by $50 and use 7,000 gallons less water per year. This is more than 40 percent less energy and 55 percent less water than conventional washers. Throughout the eleven-year expected life of the unit, enough water is saved to provide six people with drinking water for their entire lives.

The first place to look for efficient appliances is ENERGY STAR, a U.S. Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency program.

ENERGY STAR maintains a database of energy-efficient washers, but doesn't recommend dryers because there's little resource savings between models. Dryers, however, are often the second most energy-consuming appliance in the home (refrigerators are first). And there are a number of ways to make your dryer run more efficiently. (More on this later.)

The federal yellow EnergyGuide label lists how much energy it will take to operate the washer, how much this will cost, as well as comparisons with other machines.

The biggest decision you'll make when buying a washer is what size your household needs. (The average for a large washer is 2.7 cubic feet.) Over-loading or under-loading a washer makes it less efficient. So it's important to buy a washer that lets the user adjust the water level.

When scanning the ENERGY STAR product database, look for washers with a high Modified Energy Factor and a low Water Factor to optimize efficiency.

The Modified Energy Factor measures the energy used by the washer, the energy needed to heat water and the energy used by the dryer. The Water Factor considers the number of gallons of water used per cubic foot of capacity.

Front-load and advanced-technology top-load washers are much more energy efficient than conventional top-load models with central agitators.

Front loaders, primarily found in laundromats until recently, tumble clothes similar to a dryer. Clothes fall in and out of a small amount of water at the base of a stainless steel drum. This action is much more gentle on clothes, so these machines can often wash silk and wool.

They are stackable and can fit underneath a countertop for space saving, as well.

Next-generation top loaders use pressurized sprays to clean clothes. While traditional top loaders have an agitator that pulls garments through a tub full of water.

ENERGY STAR large washers use 18-25 gallons of water (smaller washers can use less than 10 gallons) versus 40 gallons per load for standard units.

Efficient washers also have high-speed spin cycles that extract more water from garments to reduce drying times. And they have larger capacity for bulky items like comforters and rugs because they lack a central agitator.

[Check out these washer guides from the California Energy Commission's Consumer Energy Center and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.]

How do you find an energy-saving dryer?

Dryers with moisture sensors shut off the machine automatically when the clothes are dry. Other models use a thermostat that turns off the machine when the exhaust air gets to a certain temperature. This thermostat feature may over-dry your garments, though. But both are much better than the energy-wasting timed dry setting.

Dryers can run on electricity or natural gas. Before shopping for dryers, find out which power source is available in your laundry room. (Electricity and natural gas are equally energy efficient, so it probably doesn't make sense to retrofit the laundry area.)

Generally, it's a good idea to contact your local utility company about rebates for energy-sipping appliances. The store salespeople can also provide assistance with this.

Once you get your washer and dryer home, you can do a few things to significantly reduce their energy usage.

Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. About 90 percent of the energy consumed by your washer comes from heating water. The presoak setting will help to remove greasy stains. But if you do use hot or warm water for the main wash, use cold water for the rinse cycle. (Definitely avoid the energy-hogging sanitary cycle.)

Also, make sure your loads are as full as possible. It takes virtually the same amount of power to wash a large load as it does a small or medium one.

And measure the correct amount of detergent. The more soap you use, the more energy the machine needs to rinse it out of your clothes.

If you have a front-loading washer, use special HE (High Efficiency) detergent that produces fewer suds. The machine won't work properly otherwise.

Another unique feature of the front loaders is they have air tight door seals. Once a load is removed after a wash, leave the door open for an hour or two. Water that doesn't evaporate can mildew.

What about dryers?

Here's a big one: Clean your lint filter after each load and check your dryer vent for obstructions every so often. This will make your dryer much more efficient and prevent a fire hazard.

It's much better to dry heavy loads (towels and jeans) and light loads (socks) separately because they dry at different times.

[See the Consumer Energy Center's dryer guide.]

Dryer technology hasn't changed very much in the last few decades, but scientists are working on powering them with microwave radiation. The biggest obstacle is metal zippers don't react safely to radiation.

Of course, the best dryer invented is Mother Nature. Dry your garments on a clothes line or rack with the sun and fresh air.

Talk about solar and wind power -- and without the panels and turbines!