Energy Efficient Appliances

Most household appliances appear very comparable externally but they can vary all together when it comes to energy saving and consequently running expenditure.

In this article you can understand everything you need to know about energy conserving devices. Learn more about what energy electricity saving household appliances are, how they work, the advantages of making the switch and when you should make the change. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact Guthrie Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Appliance?

In simple terms energy efficiency is making use of lower energy to perform the same function. This could mean, replacing an incandescent bulb with a lower energy LED bulb that produces the same brightness or insulating your roof so you need to turn the heating on less often.

Energy efficiency is linked to but not the same as energy conservation which involves making use of less energy by changing the outcome. Eg choosing to walk when you might normally have used the car or just using the washing machine when you have a full load.

Low energy household appliances are made to provide equivalent results with lower energy requirements allowing you to save energy. Lower electricity requirements result in lower utility bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Many appliances available in the USA are ENERGY STAR rated, meaning they offer use less power than standard models, usually ranging from 10-50%. Most appliances have EnergyGuide labels which show how economical they are compared to other similar household appliances.

These simple labels can be a handy starting point when figuring out if an appliance is energy efficient or not.

Types of Electricity Efficient Appliances

Some examples of energy efficient household appliances include:

Fridges
Dehumidifiers
Water Heaters
Washing Machines
Dishwashers

How Energy Efficient Appliances work

Electricity saving devices work by taking advantage of the most up to date techniques to ensure they waste as little energy as they can. That might look like better insulation in fridges, filters in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in clothes dryers to minimize drying time.

Advantages of Electricity Efficient Devices

Using energy efficient devices is a good idea for many reasons:

Saving energy. The less energy intensive a device is the less resources it needs . Meaning you can see a dramatic reduction in energy consumption without having to change your habits.
Saving money. Although more efficient appliances might have a more expensive initial cost they will generally save you money over time by reducing your utility bills.
Environmental advantages. Most of the power we use in our daily lives comes from oil and gas and results in Carbon Dioxide and other gases being released into the atmosphere. Reducing our abuse of natural resources also preserves them for future use in a more sustainable way.
Fuel Security. With fuel prices consistently rising and natural resources constantly depleting choosing more efficient appliances makes it easier to meet demand.

Do Low Energy Household Appliances Genuinely Reduce Bills?

Energy conserving devices save you money by reducing your power usage and in turn your electricity bills.

How much you save and whether or not you enjoy a noticeable reduction in your monthly bills will depend on the difference between the existing and new appliances, how much you use them and the lifespan of the product.

The older the good you are replacing is the more you are likely to save. In the same way the more energy the appliance needs to run the bigger the potential savings. I.e replacing an broken, wasteful, overcapacity air conditioning unit with a new ENERGY STAR marked one that is the perfect size for your space, will make a marked difference whereas uprating your fridge with one that is just 10% more efficient will have a markedly less noticeable impact.

Studies suggest that if your fridge was made in the 1990’s you are looking to save up to $270 in five years, but if it was made in the last 10 years the financial rewards will be much less.

You also have to make sure you make use of your household appliances efficiency settings to get the greatest reductions. For example, manual defrost is more energy-efficient than auto defrost, but only if you remember to keep defrosting.

When contrasting new devices factoring in both the purchase price and the running costs will help you make the best choice for you.

How Electricity Efficient Household Appliances Help the Environment

Reducing energy consumption isn’t all about reducing your bills. Reducing energy consumption also has an environmental impact.

Human actions have irreversible impacts on the planet, one of the most pressing of which is the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere through the consumption of non-renewable resources that are likely to be responsible for air pollution and global warming.

As more and more of us are becoming aware of the environmental cost of our daily choices the market is responding with less wasteful solutions to our requirements. Whether that is cheaper solar panels or in this case low energy refrigerators.

What are ENERGY STAR rating Devices?

The ENERGY STAR certification was formed in 1992 to ensure an readily understandable way for buyers to decide upon more sustainable household appliances.

Rated products must meet both power efficiency and consumer needs in regards to fulfillment and attributes.

The conditions for the ENERGY STAR certification change according to the device being tested. In order to gain the star mark, appliances are required to be a minimum percentage more efficient than the standard product in their class.

This means, not all ENERGY STAR marked goods are the same in terms of efficiency. For example a fridge that is 12% more efficient and one that is 18% more efficient could get the symbol. Therefore although only looking at products with the symbol is a great starting point, it is still worth looking into the actual figures before picking the best one for you.

Is an Electricity Saving Appliance Right for Your Home?

Electricity efficient appliances really do make a impact at a local and global level, reducing your bills and better use of energy and resources.

If you are in the market for a new device have a look at the EnergyGuide label. This shows the cost of energy an appliance needs and makes it more straight forward to contrast makes and designs.

You might also want to check how much you spend on your energy so you can make better comparisons.

Size matters when it comes to home appliances. For example:

Having one large fridge is more efficient than having two small ones. Unless you only need the second one during the holidays
When buying a new washing machine think about the load size as running a lower capacity machine multiple times is less efficient than using a higher capacity machine for a single run.
Even the lowest energy boiler will not reduce your bills if it’s two times the spec you need for your home.

Appliances use more energy as they deteriorate so replace older items first and if you are able to, focus on the ones that contribute most to your overall energy usage.