Energy Efficient Appliances

The majority of appliances appear very similar from the outside but they can vary significantly when it comes to energy economy and consequently running costs.

In this article you will discover all you need to know about energy conserving appliances. Learn more about what energy low energy appliances are, how they work, the benefits of choosing them and when you should make the investment. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact Integrity Augusta Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Appliance?

Basically energy efficiency is making use of decreased energy to give the same results. This could mean, replacing a standard bulb with a lower energy fluorescent bulb that produces the same amount of light or insulating your home so you need less heating.

Energy efficiency is linked to but not the same as energy conservation which involves using less energy by requiring a different result. Eg opting to walk when you might normally have used the car or just putting on the dishwasher when you have a full load.

Electricity saving household appliances are made to give equivalent outcomes in a more efficient way allowing you to save energy. Lower energy requirements result in lower energy bills and fewer environmental impacts.

Many household appliances for sale in the USA are ENERGY STAR certified, meaning they offer use less power than base models, normally ranging from 10-50%. Most appliances display EnergyGuide labels which advertise how economical they are when looked at next to other equal capacity appliances.

These simple labels can be a handy place to start when determining if a device is low energy or not.

Types of Energy Conserving Devices

Some examples of electricity saving appliances include:

  • Fridges
  • Air Conditioners
  • Boilers
  • Washing Machines
  • Dishwashers

How Electricity Saving Household Appliances work

Low energy appliances work by employing the best current technology to ensure they waste as little energy as possible. That might look like superior insulation in fridges, dirt sensors in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in clothes dryers to minimize drying time.

Advantages of Energy Efficient Devices

Switching to energy efficient devices makes sense for many reasons:

  1. Reducing energy. The less energy intensive an appliance is the less resources it requires . Meaning you can see a big reduction in energy consumption without having to change your habits.
  2. Reducing cost. Although more efficient devices may have a bigger ticket price they will inevitably save you money over time by cutting your utility bills.
  3. Environmental advantages. Most of the electricity we need for our homes comes from non-renewable resources and results in greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing our wastefulness of natural resources also conserves them for future use in a more sustainable way.
  4. Fuel Security. With energy costs consistently rising and natural resources continually being used up choosing less energy intensive devices is a more sustainable option.

Do Energy Efficient Devices Genuinely Cost Less?

Energy conserving devices save you money by reducing your energy usage and by association your energy bills.

The extent to which you save and whether or not you notice a noticeable reduction in your annual bills will depend on the relative efficiency of the old and replacement household appliances, the amount they get used 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 the appliance uses to run the more significant the likely savings. For example substituting an worn out, inefficient, overcapacity air conditioning unit with a new ENERGY STAR rated one that is the perfect size for your space, will make a noticeable impact whereas replacing your dishwasher with one that is only 10% less energy intensive is likely to have a much smaller impact.

Reports suggest that if your fridge was built over 20 years ago you could gain up to $270 in five years, however if it was produced in the last 10 years the financial rewards will be much lower.

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

When examining new appliances factoring in both the ticket price and the running costs will help you make the prime choice for you.

How Electricity Saving Devices Help the Planet

Reducing energy consumption isn’t only about saving you money. Minimizing energy usage also has a sustainability impact.

Our actions have irreversible effects on the natural world, one of the most prevalent of which is the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through the consumption of oil and gas that are likely to be correlated to air pollution and global warming.

As the general population become more aware of the environmental cost of our daily choices the market is replying with less wasteful solutions to our problems. Whether that is cheaper solar panels or in this case low energy dehumidifiers.

What are ENERGY STAR certified Appliances?

The ENERGY STAR rating was created in 1992 to allow for an quickly understandable way for people to decide upon more efficient household appliances.

Rated appliances must meet both power consumption and consumer requirements in regards to quality and features.

The qualifications for the ENERGY STAR rating are different for different types of goods. In order to be awarded the ENERGY STAR, devices must be a minimum percentage less energy intensive than the base model in their category.

As a result, not all ENERGY STAR rated goods are equal when it comes to energy efficiency. I.e a washing machine that uses 15% less energy and one that is 20% more efficient could get the certification. Thus although making sure you see the symbol is a simple starting point, it is still worth finding out the actual energy usage before making your final choice.

Is an Energy Conserving Appliance the Best Choice for You?

Electricity saving devices really do make a impression on an individual and national level, saving you money over time and more resources to go around.

Next time you are looking for a new device read the EnergyGuide label. This label indicates the amount of energy an appliance uses and makes it more straight forward to decide between makes and styles.

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

Size makes a difference when it comes to home appliances. For example:

  • Having one bigger fridge requires less energy than running two smaller ones. Unless you only need the second one at certain times of the year
  • When choosing a replacement washing machine think about the amount of washing you tend to do as running a space saving machine two times is less efficient than running a higher capacity machine once.
  • Even the most efficient water heater will be unable to save you money if it’s three times the capacity you should be using for your home.

Devices use more energy as they deteriorate so replace items that are past their best first and if you have the funds available, focus on the ones that contribute most to your overall energy usage.

Additional Types of Appliances