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Energy-Efficient Appliances: One Way to Reduce Utility Bills

	The EnergyGuide label, which appears on all labels, will tell you how efficient that appliance is. Image source: www.energystar.gov
	Look for this Energy Star logo to be sure you're buying energy efficient appliances. Image source: www.energystar.gov

Most of us are all too familiar with the high cost of the energy our homes use. In fact, the typical household spends $1,400 a year on energy bills. And in this typical home, appliances count for about 20 percent of your energy bills. While making either a new or existing home more energy efficient requires a carefully considered design and construction strategy (more on that in a bit), a quick and easy way to save money is to use energy efficient appliances. Energy Star, a government-backed program promoting superior energy efficiency, labels high-efficient appliances with its Energy Star logo. With Energy Star labeled appliances (the most efficient you can buy), you can save up to 30 percent or more than $400 per year.

While this article focuses on efficient appliances, they're only one piece of the energy-saving puzzle. Builders can make a new home very efficient with improvements in a house's systems, like insulation, windows and heating and cooling equipment, and implementing a design that ensures all the systems work together properly. For folks living in existing homes, The U.S. Department of Energy has a site that offers a guide (click here) that will help you learn to save energy with home improvements. But as part of an energy efficient home, using efficient appliances will help reduce your energy bills even more.

The Department of Energy requires all major home appliances to be tested for energy efficiency as part of their Appliance Standards Program. Manufacturers are required to display the results of many appliances using the EnergyGuide label. This yellow label gives an estimate of the amount of energy an appliance will use and shows a comparison of similar products and their energy use. And to make things even easier, the label will tell you how much it'll cost to run the appliance.

While the yellow label is helpful, there's another way to be sure you're buying energy efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star logo. To earn the Energy Star label, appliances must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star appliances use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than the standard models out there.

You may be a little hesitant to buy energy efficient appliances because they cost more. But it's important to note that the money you'll save using Energy Star appliances more than makes up for the higher cost of buying an efficient model. For information on lifetime cost-savings of specific appliances, visit Energy Star's website: www.energystar.gov.

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Here are some appliances that qualify for the Energy Star label:

• Clothes washers

• Dehumidifiers

• Dishwashers

• Refrigerators

• Room air conditioners

Clothes Washers

According to Energy Star, their qualified washers use 50 percent less energy than standard washers. And because they take away more water during the spin cycle, they reduce drying time -- saving your clothes from unnecessary wear and tear and cutting down your energy cost.

Anyone can save extra energy when it comes to washing clothes; these tips are for those with and without Energy Star models:

• Wash full loads because your washer is more effective when used this way.

• Use cold water.

• If possible, air dry clothes

Dehumidifiers

Some big cost savings can come from buying Energy Star dehumidifiers because the refrigeration technology used (refrigeration coils, compressor and fans) are more efficient than the standard model. By using less energy to remove moisture, qualified Energy Star dehumidifiers save around $200 over their lifetime. The Energy Star mathematicians have figured that that's enough to pay for the dehumidifier!

Dishwashers

Like any appliance, dishwashers are constantly being upgraded and improved to give you the most for your money. If you're using a dishwasher made before 1994, Energy Star says that one of their models can save you more than $25 a year.

With or without an Energy Star appliance, you can still save extra energy when it comes to washing dishes:

• Run your dishwasher with a full load. This allows you to save water by cutting down on the cycles you run.

• If possible, use your dishwasher's air-dry option. If it doesn't have an air-dry option you can prop the door open after the final rinse.

Refrigerators

Don't think that by going Energy Star you'll have to give up the features that you want. Not only do Energy Star refrigerators use about half the energy of pre-1993 models, but many come with features like automatic ice-makers, top, bottom and side-by-side freezers and through-the-door ice dispensers. And any qualified Energy Star refrigerator will use at least 15 percent less energy than is required by federal standards.

Room Air Conditioners

If you have an existing home and are looking to keep cool in the hot months while keeping utility costs low, Energy Star qualified air conditioners use at least 10 percent less energy than conventional models. But before you buy an air conditioner, keep the following tip in mind.

A lot of confusion surrounds air conditioners and the proper size to buy. The thinking is usually that the bigger the air conditioner, the better the cooling. But that's actually not true. If your air conditioner is too large it becomes less effective and wastes energy. Instead of removing both heat and humidity from the room, units that are too large cool the room quickly but leave some humidity behind. The leftover humidity makes the room feel clammy, damp and all around uncomfortable.

If you have high energy bills in your current home, replacing older appliances can greatly reduce your energy costs. For those building new homes the best way to make sure your home will be as efficient as possible is first to talk to your builder in the early planning stages to ensure that your home is being designed and built to be very energy efficient, and second to request Energy Star appliances or those with high EnergyGuide ratings.

For information on how to figure out what size unit is right for your room or how to carve high energy bills, go to www.energystar.gov.