When shopping for electrical
appliances for your home, don’t be fooled by the price tag. The least
expensive model may not be the bargain it would seem at first glance. It could
cost a fortune to operate—an expense that adds up year after year, for as long
as you own the appliance. While energy-efficient products tend to cost more than
their energy-guzzling cousins, the higher initial investment may be offset by
lower energy use.
An energy-efficient
appliance that costs $200 more than a less-efficient model—but that results in
an energy savings of $100 a year—will pay for itself in just two years.
Because most major appliances remain in the home for many years, that makes the
more expensive model a far better bargain.
Deciphering Energy
Usage
The energy efficiency of
similar appliances can vary significantly. Unfortunately, merely looking at
various models won’t necessarily reveal the differences. However, the
EnergyGuide can help you comparison shop. The bright yellow stickers show the
highest and lowest energy consumption or efficiency estimates of similar
appliance models, based on test procedures established by the Department of
Energy (DOE). This information enables consumers to compare the features, size
and energy usage of models they are considering. From “uses least energy” to
“uses most energy,” a scale shows how a model stacks up against the
competition.
Since 1980, the Federal
Trade Commission has required the EnergyGuide labels to be displayed on
refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, room air conditioners,
water heaters, furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners, heat pumps and pool
heaters. Labels are not required on clothes dryers, portable space heaters,
kitchen ranges, microwave ovens, lights or on-demand water heaters.
Improving Energy
Efficiency
According to the DOE, the
EnergyGuide label has helped boost energy efficiency. Refrigerator efficiency
has doubled through foam insulation and better condensers, compressors,
evaporators, fan motors and door seals. The same things have improved freezers
by 52 percent. Improved spray arms and filtering systems, better wash action,
less hot water usage and introduction of an air-dry cycle have boosted
dishwasher efficiency by 37 percent.
New coil designs, more efficient compressors and better air circulation
systems have improved air conditioners by 29 percent. Thanks to more rinse
options, less hot water in the warm setting, better mixing valves and more
effective water extraction, clothes washers are 27 percent more efficient.
Improved fan motors and heat exchangers have boosted furnace efficiency by 21
percent. Better insulation and improved recovery efficiency have improved water
heater performance by 12 to 15 percent.
Efficiency Equals
Savings
According to the DOE,
through 2000, consumers saved a cumulative $28 billion and enough natural gas to
heat 19 million typical U.S. homes for a year, thanks to energy efficiency
standards and labeling programs.
In the year 2000 alone, the
standards helped reduce the use of electricity by an amount equivalent to the
output of 14 large power plants.
Advances in energy efficiency have meant ongoing financial savings for
consumers.
According to industry
officials, a new energy-efficient refrigerator costs about $50 less a year to
run than a refrigerator manufactured in 1980. New room air conditioners cost
about $26 less a year to run than those of 20 years ago.
Household savings vary based
on how much an appliance is used, the climate and local utility rates.