Tip of the day: Buy a dryer with a moisture sensor

“Carbon footprint” is a hot eco-awareness term, and the Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth has shined the spotlight on the looming threat of global warming. One simple way to help the environment and save your self some money without too much effort is to replace a dying clothes dryer with a model equipped with a moisture sensor. The sensor will add $30 to $50 to the price of the dryer, but the increased efficiency it brings will eventually pay for the extra cost.

A moisture sensor on a gas or electric dryer also cuts carbon-dioxide emissions by 10 percent, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group based in Washington, D.C. Note that a gas dryer generates only about 40 percent of the CO2 produced by an electric model. While it will typically cost $50 more than an electric, its per-load operating expenses are about 25 cents less, so you’ll make up the price gap in a year or two.

Read “Dryer fire caution” and watch our exclusive safety alert to learn how to properly install a dryer duct. And look for our latest report on washers and dryers in the June 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale in May.