Zahra is anxious to save money on her utility bills and knows that changing the temperature of the water when she does laundry can help save money. Right now three-fourths of all her laundry is done with the hotter water. Use the table below to determine how much she currently pays in utility costs for laundry. Assume 1 load of wash per day. Clothes washer w/electric water heaterCost per loadHot wash & warm rinse71 cents per loadWarm wash & cold rinse25 cents per loadIf she cuts down the amount of laundry that she does in hot water to one-half, about how much will she save every year?
Reducing hot-water loads from three-fourths to one-half shifts one-fourth of her daily load to the less expensive setting. The difference is 71 cents − 25 cents = 46 cents per load, so she saves 46 × 1/4 = 11.5 cents per day. Over 365 days, that is about $42, so the correct choice is $42 each year.
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