Energy Efficient Appliances

Most household appliances appear very similar externally but they can vary all together when it comes to energy saving and therefore operating costs.

In this article you can understand everything you need to know about energy conserving appliances. Learn more about what energy low energy household appliances are, how they operate, the benefits of choosing them and whether they are right for you and your home. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact ASAP Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Home Appliance?

Basically energy efficiency is using decreased energy to gain the same outcome. For example, replacing a standard bulb with a lower energy fluorescent bulb that produces the same level of light or insulating your roof so you need to turn the heating on less often.

Energy efficiency is similar to but not the same as energy conservation which requires employing less energy by adjusting behaviours or habits. For example, choosing to walk when you might normally have used the car or just running the washing machine when you have a full load.

Low energy devices are engineered to offer the same results with lower energy requirements allowing you to save money. Less electricity requirements result in lower energy bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Many devices currently manufactured in the United States are ENERGY STAR rated, meaning they offer use less energy than lower efficiency models, typically ranging from 10-50%. Most appliances have EnergyGuide labels which demonstrate how economical they are when looked at next to other equal capacity devices.

These ratings can be a handy place to start when figuring out if a device is low energy or not.

Types of Energy Efficient Devices

Some examples of energy efficient devices include:

Fridges
Air Conditioners
Boilers
Washing Machines
Tumble Dryers

How Electricity Efficient Appliances work

Energy conserving devices work by employing the best current techniques to maximize efficiency. That might mean superior insulation in freezers, filters in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in tumble dryers to reduce drying time.

Reasons to Choose Electricity Saving Devices

Switching to low energy devices makes sense for multiple reasons:

Reducing energy. The more economical an appliance is the less energy it uses . Meaning you can gain a noticeable saving in energy without having to change your habits.
Reducing cost. Although energy-efficient appliances are likely to have a higher up-front cost they will generally save you money in the long run by reducing your energy bills.
Environmental benefits. Most of the electricity we use in our daily lives comes from oil and gas and results in the emission of greenhouse gases. Reducing our wastefulness of fossil fuels also keeps them for future use in a more sustainable way.
Resource Security. With resource prices constantly increasing and natural resources constantly being used up choosing energy-efficient devices is a more sustainable option.

Do Low Energy Appliances Genuinely Save Money?

Energy conserving appliances save you money by reducing your energy consumption and therefore your electricity bills.

The extent to which you save and whether or not you see a substantial difference in your monthly bills will depend on the difference between the previous and future household appliances, the degree of use and how long the product lasts.

The older the appliance you are upgrading is the more you are likely to save. Likewise the more energy the appliance needs to run the more significant the possible savings. I.e substituting an old, wasteful, too big air conditioning unit with a new ENERGY STAR accredited one that is the correct size for your home, will make a marked difference whereas replacing your dishwasher with one that is merely 10% more efficient is likely to have a significantly smaller impact.

Studies suggest that if your fridge was produced last century you could gain up to $270 in five years, but if it was built in the last 10 years the money you save will be much less significant.

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

When examining new household appliances factoring in both the ticket price and the usage costs will make sure you make the prime decision for you.

How Energy Efficient Appliances Help the Planet

Energy efficiency isn’t just about saving you money. Cutting energy consumption also has a sustainability impact.

The things we do have big effects on the planet, one of the most obvious of which is the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the use of oil and gas that have been linked to air pollution and global warming.

As we become more aware of the environmental effect of our daily decisions the market is reacting with more environmentally friendly solutions to our problems. Whether that is cheaper solar panels or in this case low energy air conditioners.

What are ENERGY STAR certified Household Appliances?

The ENERGY STAR certification was started in 1992 to allow for an quickly understandable way for consumers to choose more efficient appliances.

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

The requirements for the ENERGY STAR certification vary between different appliances. In order to have the rating, household appliances are required to be a minimum percentage less energy intensive than the standard design in their class.

As a result, not all ENERGY STAR rated products are the same when it comes to energy efficiency. I.e a fridge that uses 15% less energy and one that uses 18% less energy could get the symbol. Thus although looking out for the rating is a simple starting point, it is still worth finding out the actual figures before making your final choice.

Is an Electricity Saving Appliance Right for Your Home?

Electricity efficient household appliances really do make a difference at an individual and global level, reducing your bills and more resources to go around.

Next time you are in the market for a new appliance read the EnergyGuide label. This shows the cost of electricity an appliance needs and makes it more straight forward to contrast brands and styles.

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

Size counts when it comes to appliances. For example:

Paying for one bigger fridge is more efficient than paying for two little ones. Unless you only need the extra one occasionally
When purchasing a replacement washing machine think about the amount of washing you tend to do as running a lower capacity machine multiple times is less efficient than using a bigger machine once.
Even the most efficient water heater will be unable to save you money if it’s three times the size you require for your home.

Appliances reduce in efficiency as they get older so replace items that are past their best first and if you can, focus on the ones that contribute most to your overall energy usage.