From Guest Blogger Lana Hawkins: Why is it Important to Use Energy Efficient Appliances?

In 1992, when the Environmental Protection Agency started the program, Energy Star was intended to be one of the voluntary schemes that would reduce energy consumption by computers and printers. This was accomplished by informing consumers which of these items were energy efficient. The program used a system of labels to identify the qualifying products.

Since then, the labels have been placed on more than 40,000 product categories ranging from light bulbs to commercial buildings. In the meantime, the Energy Star program has also become the international standard for energy efficiency, adopted by Australia, Canada, the European Union, etc.

But what do the labels mean to you?

Did you know that home appliances account for as much as 30 percent of the numbers on your energy bill? As our dependence on appliances grows and energy prices are constantly rising year after year, these numbers will continue to rise as well, unless you start paying more attention to the energy efficiency of the new products you buy. The Energy Star requirements are very stringent, and in order for a home appliance to be labeled as energy efficient, it has to be in the top 25 percent of its class of products in terms of energy saving.

Let’s have a look at some specific examples and how much they save.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers produced before 1994 waste about 10 gallons of water per one cycle. On the other hand, Energy Star certified dishwashers are required to use 4.25 gallons or less. However, most of the energy used by dishwashers is for water heating. Energy efficient dishwashers now have the option to set the maximum temperature for washing, thus reducing energy consumption and deducting about $35 from your energy bill on the annual level. The latest models also have soil sensors that check how dirty the dishes are and adjust the amount of water used accordingly.

Refrigerators

The refrigerator is the biggest power consumer in most households, and it is estimated that some 60 million refrigerators (that are currently in use in the United States) are more than 10 years old. These refrigerators consume about 15% more energy than Energy Star qualified models. If all of the old refrigerators were replaced by new ones, with improved insulation and compressors, about $4.7 billion would be saved on energy costs on the national level in one year. On the household level, a brand new refrigerator can save you from $35 to $300 during its lifetime.

Clothes washers

According to the EPA, an average family washes about 300 loads of laundry per year. If we know that a standard washing machine uses about 23 gallons of water per load, we come to a figure of 6,900 gallons of water per year. Now, let’s compare this to an energy efficient washer. A washer produced after 2003 uses 13 gallons of water per load, which equals 3,900 gallons per year. This means that an energy efficient clothes washer can save at least 3,000 gallons of water in one year. We say ‘at least’ because newer washers also have a greater tub capacity so you will need less than 300 loads per year to be neat and clean.

To sum up, by upgrading to more efficient appliances, apart from the obvious money saving on the energy costs, you can also earn yourself energy tax credits that are granted to those homeowners who take significant steps to reduce energy consumption. They benefit the environment by scaling back energy demand and reducing their carbon footprint and enhance the quality of their life since such appliances require less maintenance, and improve the economy by spurring innovations.