There was inaction about this thus manufacturers such as Bosch who sell DW that heat from cold water will Sell DW to the USA that require the consumer to provide 120F incoming hot water so that they stay competitive in the USA market, even though the consumer may, or may not be saving anything. Bunkum. Jerrod, you're either using misinformation to peddle your La-Perla again or just willfully refusing to be informed. Bosch DWs are sensor driven. They don't "REQUIRE" the feed water to be 120degF, they will take it (and perhaps even recommend it - I'll get back to this later). I've had my machine connected to the cold water supply and it handled it with NO DIFFERENCE in operation - either in washing or in drying - than when I had it connected to hot. We've had the hot water set VERY HOT (130defF at the taps - plumber bozocity) and it did fine. It is now set to a much more temperate 115degF and it is fine. These machines are sensor operated and use sensor feedback to accommodate variations in supply conditions. I don't know how many more ways to tell you that the bloody machines work just dandy with or without a hot water connection - they just take a longer time getting on with it if they have to take a cold water feed in the middle of winter. So the "stay competitive" claim is just rubbish. Or your usual white-wash job. As for the hot water supply - I don't think it is a bad thing at all. Like you, who have your machine connected to the hot water line, with a hot water connection the machine is simply able to get a "warm start" if the feed water is already hot. Many times people will want to run their machines (quiet ones) at the end of the day after a busy period of activity when taps have been running and there is hot water in the tank and hot water in the pipes. What makes you think it is more virtuous to forgo that already hot water and start from scratch heating a cold feed with water? Why does it offend your delicate sense of fair play that a already heated water may be used when there may be some in the house as opposed to heating YET another pot of cold water? The machine does NOT dribble away cold water until it gets a hot supply, so contrary to your claims in your first paragraph, it isn't wasting water either. There is a point in what you write but typically, you've missed it. The problem isn't the machines, it isn't in the features that are to be considered, it is in the standardization of the way the tests are conducted, for these energy labels. This can be simply set but your representation of the issues that manufacturers have balked at is just plain, flat WRONG. That in and of itself isn't surprising because testing standards, protocols and definitions are frequently bungled - even in such critical agencies as the FAA - so its hardly surprising that home appliance agencies are getting wrapped around the axel but that's the root of the problem; not Bosch getting their panties in a twist about 120degF and whatnot. Lastly, again, I don't know what you're talking about re: nobody but Miele and FP wanting to claim water consumption efficiency. MANY, MANY machines have claimed and have been pushed on JD Powers', Green building, Dwell, etc. sites as being low water consumers and that being a good thing. Which brand is most water efficient, I don't know; nor do I recall which ones actually were as they claimed BUT believe it or not, a lot of machines are claiming water efficiency and a lot of people are buying because of it.

I'm not sure I'll be much help on this subject since I'm just now decluttering and reorganizing my home. Here's a few little things I'm doing: Since I don't have a regular pantry (I'm going to make one somewhere, someday--lol) I keep all breakfast items in one drawer, like instant oatmeal, grits, hot chocolate, etc. So, I know in a glance what I need and don't buy extras. I just tear off the top of the pkg. and set the whole thing in the drawer. I also keep my ironing supplies on one drawer---irons, spray starch, etc. I actually had to buy a second iron because I couldn't find the first one---before I organized! I took all on my junky paper and cut it into note size, put it in my desk drawer. If I have pretty junky mail, or envelopes, I cut them up to use as gift tags or small note cards. I hate frying bacon, so I bake it now on a rack. It's healthier and I don't have to spend so much time at the stove. I actually baked a pkg. this morning, used it all at once---now, we have bacon for tomorrow. I don't have very many closets, so I'm using decorative tins and hatboxes (I went thru a hatbox-making phase a few years back) for storage of sewing and craft supplies, and anything else that I can't find a place for!!! LOL These things hold a lot, so I may not have to buy any shelves. In my foyer area, I have a narrow table with a mirrow above it. I just cleaned out that drawer in the table----I have a place for car keys (his & hers), gloves, hairbrush, and glasses. Since I wash my hands a zillion times a day, I keep either an old dish detergent bottle or shampoo bottle with soap, water (*and now hand lotion or baby oil mixed in) under the sink to wash hands with. I just saw a Dr. on Tv say that if you wash your hands too much and they're dried out, germs can enter your body thru the cracked dry skin EASIER!! They were talking about the flu viruses. He actually said that rubbing your hands back and forth, creating friction, would kill germs on your hands!! Rub your hands, rub your hands!!!!!!

To answer your last question: Having a lot of unused wiring and outlets does not create any additional use or waste. Congratulations on thinking green. More of us need to do so. The idea is to reduce energy consumption, and thereby pollution, on a global scale. As the others have written, anything with a transformer (AKA a "wall wart"), devices operated by remote, and things with a built-in clock, draw a small amount of power at all times. In an average home, this could add up to 50-100 watts. Take the average of that range, 75 watts, which amounts to 1.8 KWH per day. Multiply X 365 days per year = 657 KWH. Multiply x $0.15 per KWH = $98.55 per year spent just to power these devices. Although this example doesn't consider the time of actual, productive use, you get the idea. Now, this amount is probably a pittance of your actual electricity cost. The idea is that if a large amount of consumers reduce their demand even slightly, the global impact is immense. Remember that the electricity you use is mostly produced by burning fossil fuels or by nuclear fission, both of which have long-term environmental implications. In the coming decades, we will see a pronounced increase in use of wind, hydro, and solar power, perhaps tidal power, and with a little luck, research will result in hydrogen power and nuclear fusion becoming viable, efficient, and affordable energy sources.

Have gas dryers changed since the 90's though? The one I have was purchased in 2011. Mine doesn't bake the clothing. In fact, unless I turn the sensor to more or most dry, my clothing is still slightly damp. I also have a "shrink guard" setting that lowers the temperature in the damp to dry phase (prior to cool down) which is supposed to help with shrinkage. The electric model of my dryer has the same feature. The new dryer I am getting doesn't have the shrink guard option though. Interesting on the quieter. In what regard was it quieter? You'd think the tumbling would make the same noise no matter electric or gas. That being said, I think that my current dryer does seem a bit louder than my previous electric dryer. I am not sure if that is due to it being gas or just because it's different brand.