SEPTEMBER 23-29, 2009 UCW 31
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
Which Appliances Are Most Energy Efficient?
E/The Environmental Magazine
I am considering upgrading some older appliances in my home. Where
can I find information on which models are the most energy efficient?
— Jonathan Duda, Olivebridge, NY
There has never been a better time to upgrade some of those older
creaky appliances that are gobbling up much more energy (or water)
than they need to in your home. Fortunately, most of the sifting-through
to find the best values has already been done for you.
The first thing to do when shopping for new equipment is to look
for models emblazoned with the blue
EnergyStar logo. This helps you zero
in on those models that have been de-
termined by the federal government
— EnergyStar is a joint program of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Department of Energy
— to be at least 10 to 25 percent more
energy-efficient (and often much more)
than conventional models.
For dishwashers, for example,
EnergyStar qualified models use 31
percent less energy and 33 percent less
water than conventional machines while
performing as well as or better, accord-
ing to EnergyStar. With clothes wash-
ers, EnergyStar models can cut energy
use by over a third and water use by
half. EnergyStar-rated refrigerators will cut electrical use in half, com-
pared to older machines made before 1993. With air conditioners, the
savings is there, too, though at a more modest 10 percent over conven-
tional models.
EnergyStar, which began in 1992 and first evaluated only computers
and monitors, is a great jumping off point for evaluating everything from
major appliances to home heating and cooling, lighting, home electron-
ics, office equipment and more. The EPA recently extended the label to
cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.
After first zeroing in on EnergyStar models, be sure to check out
the accompanying yellow EnergyGuide sticker, which gets down to the
nitty-gritty and estimates how much energy the appliance uses, compares
its energy use to similar products and lists approximate annual operat-
ing costs. EnergyGuide labels also appear on appliances not EnergyStar
compliant. Visit the EnergyStar Web site (address below) and immerse yourself.
Another way to help sort through the thousands of appliances out
there that are EnergyStar-compliant is by checking out the Consumers
Union (publisher of Consumer Reports magazine) free Greener Choices
website, which compares a wide range of merchandise according to their
relative environmental impact.
Greener Choices provides detailed information on dishwashers,
washers and dryers, air conditioners, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners.
Each appliance is assessed in comparison to other models via the Web
site's Green Buying Guides, which can help consumers decide how green
they should go. It also offers up a series of calculators to determine the
energy use of your current appliances, new or old. By providing the effi-
ciency and price of various models, the site helps consumers decide how
much green "bang" they want for a specific amount of bucks.
CONTACTS: Energy Star, www.energystar.gov; Greener Choices,
www.greenerchoices.org.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read
past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk
is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/
earthtalkbook.
Step one when shopping for new appli-
ances is to look for models emblazoned
with the blue EnergyStar logo.
