Energy Efficient Appliances

Many household appliances appear very comparable from the outside but they can vary significantly when it comes to energy economy and therefore running costs.

Here you can find out all you need to know about energy conserving household appliances. Discover what energy electricity saving household appliances are, what makes them different, the benefits of making the switch and whether they are right for you and your home. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact P.D.Q. Cicero Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Appliance?

Basically energy efficiency is making use of decreased energy to gain the same outcome. For example, replacing a traditional light bulb with an energy efficient LED bulb that produces the same brightness or insulating your walls so you need to turn the heating on less often.

Energy efficiency is similar to but distinct from energy conservation which involves employing less energy by adjusting behaviours or habits. For example, choosing to walk when you might normally have used the car or only running the dishwasher when you have a full load.

Energy efficient appliances are made to provide the same outcomes using less energy allowing you to save energy. Less electricity requirements result in lower energy bills and fewer environmental impacts.

Many devices for sale in the USA are ENERGY STAR rated, meaning they offer use less energy than lower efficiency models, normally ranging from 10-50%. Most appliances have EnergyGuide labels which show how efficient they are compared to other equal capacity household appliances.

These ratings can be a great place to start when determining if a device is energy conserving or not.

Types of Electricity Efficient Household Appliances

Some different types of energy efficient appliances include:

Fridges
Air Conditioners
Boilers
Washers
Dishwashers

How Electricity Efficient Appliances work

Electricity efficient appliances work by utilizing the most up to date techniques to make sure they use as little power as possible. That might look like superior insulation in freezers, dirt sensors in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in dryers to reduce drying time.

Advantages of Electricity Efficient Devices

Using electricity saving household appliances is a good idea for multiple reasons:

Saving energy. The more energy-efficient a device is the less energy it uses to undertake its purpose. Meaning you can experience a noticeable saving in energy without losing any productivity.
Reducing cost. Although more efficient appliances might have a bigger ticket price they will usually save you money over time by cutting your utility bills.
Environmental benefits. Most of the energy we use in our daily lives comes from oil and gas and results in greenhouse gas emissions. Lessening our abuse of natural resources also preserves them for future use in a more sustainable way.
Fuel Security. With resource prices continually going up and natural resources constantly being used up choosing energy-efficient devices will allow our demands to be met for longer.

Do Energy Conserving Devices Genuinely Cost Less?

Electricity saving appliances save you money by reducing your power usage and therefore your electricity bills.

How much you save and whether or not you notice a noticeable reduction in your household bills will depend on the difference between the previous and replacement household appliances, the degree of use and the lifespan of the product.

The older the device you are upgrading is the more you are likely to save. In the same way the more energy it uses to run the more significant the possible savings. For example replacing an broken, wasteful, too big air conditioner with a new ENERGY STAR marked one that is the perfect size for your home, could make a noticeable impact whereas upgrading your fridge with one that is just 10% less energy intensive will have a significantly less noticeable impact.

Reports suggest that if your fridge was produced over 20 years ago you are looking to save up to $270 in five years, but if it was built in within the last decade the savings will be much lower.

You also have to make sure you use your appliances energy saving functions to get the greatest reductions. For example, setting your dryer for a fixed time negates its ability to sense when your clothes are nearly dry.

When comparing new appliances factoring in both the ticket price and the {running costs|ongoing costs|usage costs will make sure you make the prime decision for you.

How Low Energy Household Appliances Help the Environment

Reducing energy consumption isn’t just about saving you money. Minimizing energy consumption also has an environmental impact.

The things we do have irreversible impacts on the environment, one of the most obvious of which is the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere through the use of fossil fuels that have been linked to air quality decline and global warming.

As the general population become more aware of the environmental effect of our daily choices the market is responding with more eco-friendly solutions to our problems. Whether that is reusable straws or in this case low energy air conditioners.

What are ENERGY STAR certified Household Appliances?

The ENERGY STAR symbol was formed in 1992 to ensure an quickly detectable way for people to decide upon more efficient household appliances.

Certified appliances must meet both power consumption and consumer requirements in regards to fulfillment and attributes.

The qualifications for the ENERGY STAR certification vary between different appliances. In order to gain the rating, household appliances are required to be a minimum percentage less energy intensive than the base product in their category.

This means, not all ENERGY STAR certified products are equal when it comes to energy efficiency. I.e a fridge that is 15% more efficient and one that is 20% more efficient could get the symbol. Therefore although only looking at products with the symbol is a simple starting point, it is still worth looking into the actual energy usage before picking the best one for you.

Is an Energy Efficient Appliance the Best Choice for Your Home?

Energy conserving household appliances really do make a impact on an individual and national level, meaning more money in your pocket and more resources to go around.

If you are in the market for a new appliance have a look at the EnergyGuide label. It tells you the cost of electricity an appliance needs and makes it more straight forward to contrast makes and styles.

You may also want to know how much your energy costs you so you can make accurate comparisons.

Size matters when it comes to appliances. For example:

Paying for one big fridge requires less energy than running two small ones. Unless you only need the extra one occasionally
When buying a new washing machine consider the amount of washing you tend to do as running a lower capacity machine two times will cost more than using a higher capacity machine for a single run.
Even the most efficient boiler will not save you money if it’s two times the capacity you need for your home.

Household appliances reduce in efficiency as they get older so replace over 10 years old first and if you are able to, focus on the ones that contribute most to your overall energy usage.