Energy Efficient Appliances

Most appliances look very comparable from the outside but they can vary dramatically when it comes to energy efficiency and consequently running costs.

Here you will discover everything you need to know about electricity saving appliances. Discover what energy electricity saving household appliances are, how they work, the advantages of paying that little bit extra and whether they are right for you and your home. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact Chesapeake Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Appliance?

Basically energy efficiency is making use of reduced energy to perform the same function. For example, replacing a traditional light bulb with a more efficient LED bulb that produces the same brightness or insulating your walls so you need less heating.

Energy efficiency is linked to but different from energy conservation which involves using less energy by requiring a different result. Eg choosing to walk when you might normally have used the car or only running the dishwasher when you have a full load.

Electricity efficient household appliances are engineered to provide the same outcomes with lower energy requirements allowing you to save energy. Lower energy usage result in lower electricity bills and fewer environmental impacts.

Many household appliances available in the USA are ENERGY STAR certified, meaning they offer use less energy than lower efficiency models, usually ranging from 10-50%. Most devices also have EnergyGuide labels which display how economical they are when looked at next to other comparable devices.

These ratings can be a great first point of call when deciding if a device is energy efficient or not.

Types of Electricity Efficient Appliances

Some examples of electricity saving appliances include:

  • Refrigerators
  • Air Conditioners
  • Boilers
  • Washing Machines
  • Tumble Dryers

How Electricity Saving Appliances work

Energy conserving household appliances work by applying the best current techniques to ensure they waste as little energy as possible. That might be superior insulation in fridges, dirt sensors in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in clothes dryers to limit drying time.

Reasons to Switch to Energy Efficient Goods

Choosing energy conserving household appliances makes sense for multiple reasons:

  1. Saving energy. The more economical a device is the less energy it needs . Meaning you can gain a noticeable saving in energy without losing any productivity.
  2. Reducing cost. Although energy-efficient household appliances might have a bigger initial cost they will usually save you money over time by reducing your electricity bills.
  3. Environmental benefits. Most of the energy we use in our daily lives comes from fossil fuels and results in greenhouse gas emissions. Lessening our wastefulness of natural resources also keeps them for future use in a more sustainable way.
  4. Fuel Security. With energy prices constantly going up and natural resources always being used up choosing more efficient household appliances will allow our demands to be met for longer.

Do Energy Conserving Household Appliances Actually Save Money?

Electricity saving household appliances save you money by reducing your power consumption and by association your energy bills.

How much you save and whether or not you enjoy a substantial difference in your annual bills will depend on the difference between the old and new appliances, the degree of use and the lifespan of the product.

The older the appliance you are changing is the more you are likely to save. Similarly the more energy the appliance requires to run the bigger the likely savings. I.e substituting an old, inefficient, overcapacity air conditioning unit with a replacement ENERGY STAR marked one that is the correct size for your home, could make a marked impact whereas uprating your dishwasher with one that is only 10% more efficient is likely to have a much smaller impact.

Reports suggest that if your fridge was produced in the 1990’s you could gain up to $270 in five years, but if it was made in within the last decade the money you save will be much less.

You also have to make certain you use your 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 upfront price and the usage costs will make sure you make the top decision for you.

How Energy Conserving Appliances Help the Planet

Energy efficiency isn’t just about cutting costs. Minimizing energy consumption also has an environmental impact.

The things we do have big impacts on the natural world, one of the most prevalent of which is the release of greenhouse gasses into the air through the consumption of oil and gas that are likely to be linked to air pollution and climate change.

As we become more aware of the environmental impact of our daily decisions the market is reacting with more energy efficient solutions to our requirements. Whether that is cheaper solar panels or in this case low energy washing machines.

What are ENERGY STAR certified Devices?

The ENERGY STAR certification was created in 1992 to allow for an readily recognizable way for people to opt-for more eco-friendly household appliances.

Rated products must meet both energy performance and consumer needs in regards to quality and attributes.

The conditions for the ENERGY STAR rating change according to the device being tested. In order to gain the rating, appliances are required to be at least a certain percentage less energy intensive than the base product in their class.

This means, not all ENERGY STAR rated products are equal in terms of efficiency. I.e a freezer that is 15% more efficient and one that uses 20% less energy would get the rating. Thus although only looking at products with the star is a great first step, it is still worth finding out the actual figures before picking the best one for you.

Is an Electricity Efficient Appliance Right for You?

Electricity efficient appliances really do make a difference at an individual and international level, reducing your bills and conserving both energy and resources.

If you are looking for a new appliance read the EnergyGuide label. This label shows the cost of electricity an appliance needs and makes it more straight forward to contrast makes and styles.

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

Size counts when it comes to appliances. For example:

  • Running one bigger fridge is more efficient than having two small ones. Unless you only use the extra one at certain times of the year
  • When purchasing a new washing machine think about the load size as running a lower capacity machine twice will cost more than turning on a higher capacity machine for a single run.
  • Even the most efficient water heater will not save you money if it’s four times the size you should be using for your home.

Devices get less efficient as they age so replace older items first and if you are able to, focus on the appliances that use the most energy.

Additional Types of Appliances

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