Energy Star Appliances Help Save Money
Rebates and Efficient Design make Energy Star Appliances a Good Buy
Oct 29, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has set the criteria for energy usage for all major home appliances. This program, called the Appliance Standards Program, requires manufacturers to use standard test procedures to prove the energy usage and the efficiency of their products. The results of these tests are printed on the yellow Energy Guide labels and include how much energy the appliance uses, the energy usage of similar products, and an estimate of the annual operating costs.
In certain categories of appliances, products that rank very highly in energy efficiency will also carry the ENERGY STAR® designation on the Energy Guide label.
WHAT IS ENERGY STAR ?
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This voluntary program was introduced in 1992 in an effort to identify and promote energy efficient products in order to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Through partnerships with more than 15,000 private and public organizations, ENERGY STAR provides the technical information consumers need to make the most energy-efficient choices in a variety of home products.
ENERGY STAR does not provide ratings for every type of appliance. The only major appliances that can receive the Energy Star rating are clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators. ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers, microwave ovens, ranges or stoves.
Trying to determine the actual cost savings of ENERGY STAR appliances can be difficult. When considering the costs savings that are advertised for ENERGY STAR appliances, keep in mind that there are usually two figures that are often stated: the savings over your old appliance (which is different according to how old your current appliances are) and the savings over a new, non ENERGY STAR rated appliance. Figures used in this article were taken from the official ENERGY STAR website.
BENEFITS OF ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES
ENERGY STAR Clothes Washers
The technology incorporated into ENERGY STAR clothes washers requires less water to get the clothes clean. Since energy savings in an efficient clothes washer are primarily governed by the amount of water that needs to be heated, saving water also results in energy savings. Dollar-wise, ENERGY STAR clothes washers are expected to save about $50.00 per year in utility costs over Non ENERGY STAR models. However, if your present clothes washer is over 10 years old, a new ENERGY STAR rated washer can save you as much as $135 each year.
ENERGY STAR Dishwashers
New technologies in ENERGY STAR dishwashers include soil sensors, improved water filtration, more efficient jets and better rack design. Because they use less hot water compared to non-qualified models, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher saves about $90 over its lifetime over a Non ENERGY STAR model. However, you will save about $40 per year over what you are spending using your current dishwasher if it was manufactured before 1994.
ENERGY STAR FreezersImprovements in insulation and compressorsallow modern freezers to consume much less energy than older models. Energy Star rated freezers use 10% less energy than new, non-Energy Star rated models. They will save you about $35 per year in utility bills over an old freezer purchased before 1993, and up to $70 a year over a pre 1980’s freezer.
ENERGY STAR Refrigerators
High efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms help refrigerators to earn the ENERGY STAR rating. The amount of money you will save depends, again, on the age of the refrigerator you are replacing. Replacing a refrigerator from the 1980’s with an ENERGY STAR model will save you about $100 a year. Replace a model from the 1970’s and you will save nearly $200 a year. However, the savings on a new Energy Star rated refrigerator compared to a new non- ENERGY STAR rated fridge is only $165 over the LIFE of the fridge.
Are these savings enough to make the purchase of ENERGY STAR appliances worthwhile? The answer is a definitive “yes”.
According to the ENERGY STAR website “Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2008 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 29 million cars — all while saving $19 billion on their utility bills.”
And if that isn’t enough incentive, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a new ENERGY STAR appliance rebate program to be administered by state energy offices. Through this program, expected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010, consumers can receive rebates to purchase new ENERGY STAR -qualified appliances when they replace their used appliances. For more information about this rebate program, visit the DOE website.
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