Energy Efficient Appliances

Most household appliances look very comparable on the face of it but they can vary dramatically when it comes to energy saving and therefore running expenditure.

Here you will understand all you need to know about electricity saving appliances. Discover what energy low energy appliances are, what makes them different, the benefits of using them and whether they are right for you and your home. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact Blair Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Home Appliance?

Put simply energy efficiency is employing decreased energy to gain the same outcome. For example, replacing a standard light bulb with an energy efficient fluorescent bulb that produces the same illumination or insulating your walls so you need to turn the heating on less often.

Energy efficiency is linked to but not the same as energy conservation which involves making use of less energy by adjusting behaviors or habits. Eg opting to cycle when you might normally have used the car or just putting on the dishwasher when you have a full load.

Electricity efficient household appliances are designed to provide the same outcomes using less energy allowing you to save energy. Less electricity usage result in lower utility bills and less environmental impact.

Many household appliances currently manufactured in the USA are ENERGY STAR marked, meaning they offer higher energy efficiency compared to lower rated models, usually ranging from 10-50%. Most appliances have EnergyGuide labels which show how efficient they are compared to other equal capacity household appliances.

These simple labels can be a great place to start when figuring out if an appliance is energy efficient or not.

Types of Electricity Efficient Appliances

Some different types of electricity saving devices include:

Fridges
Dehumidifiers
Water Heaters
Washing Machines
Dishwashers

How Electricity Efficient Devices work

Electricity efficient appliances work by utilizing the latest techniques to minimize energy consumption. That might be better insulation in freezers, dirt sensors in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in tumble dryers to limit drying time.

Reasons to Switch to Energy Conserving Goods

Switching to electricity efficient appliances makes sense for a number of reasons:

Saving energy. The more efficient an appliance is the less energy it requires . Meaning you can gain a noticeable reduction in energy consumption without losing any productivity.
Reducing cost. Although lower energy household appliances may have a more expensive ticket price they will usually save you money over time by cutting your energy bills.
Environmental benefits. Most of the energy we use in our daily lives comes from fossil fuels and results in the emission of greenhouse gases. Lessening our exploitation of non-renewable resources also preserves them for future use in a more sustainable way.
Resource Security. With energy costs consistently increasing and natural resources constantly depleting choosing more efficient appliances is a more sustainable option.

Do Low Energy Appliances Actually Reduce Bills?

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

The extent to which you save and whether or not you enjoy a noticeable reduction in your household bills will depend on the relative efficiency of the old and replacement household appliances, the degree of use and the lifespan of the product.

The older the device you are replacing is the bigger the difference you are likely to see. In the same way the more energy the device uses to run the greater the potential savings. For example replacing an worn out, wasteful, oversized air conditioner with a new ENERGY STAR accredited one that is the exact size for your space, will make a notable impact whereas uprating your fridge with one that is merely 10% more efficient will have a significantly less noticeable impact.

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

You also have to make sure you understand your household appliances energy saving 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 contrasting new appliances factoring in both the ticket price and the usage costs will help you make the best choice for you.

How Electricity Efficient Devices Help the Planet

Reducing energy consumption isn’t only about reducing your bills. Minimizing energy consumption also has an environmental impact.

Human actions have massive impacts on the planet, one of the most pressing of which is the release of greenhouse gasses into the environment through the burning of oil and gas that can be linked to air pollution and global warming.

As more and more of us are becoming aware of the environmental cost of our daily decisions the market is responding with less wasteful solutions to our needs. Whether that is cheaper solar panels or in this case low energy refrigerators.

What are ENERGY STAR certified Appliances?

The ENERGY STAR rating was started in 1992 to provide an easily understandable way for buyers to decide upon more eco-friendly appliances.

Certified products must meet both energy performance and consumer expectations in regards to performance and attributes.

The requirements for the ENERGY STAR certification vary between different appliances. In order to have the star mark, household appliances must be a minimum percentage more efficient than the base product in their class.

As a result, not all ENERGY STAR rated products are the same when it comes to energy efficiency. I.e a freezer that uses 12% less energy and one that is 20% more efficient could get the symbol. Thus although making sure you see the star is a simple place to start, it is still worth looking into the actual energy savings before making your final choice.

Is an Electricity Saving Appliance Right for You?

Electricity saving household appliances really do make a impression at a local and international level, reducing your bills and better use of energy and resources.

When you are shopping for a new device have a look at the EnergyGuide label. This label tells you the amount of energy an appliance gets through and makes it more straight forward to compare makes and designs.

You might also want to know how much you spend on your energy so you can make more personalized comparisons.

Size counts when it comes to home appliances. For example:

Running one large fridge is more efficient than paying for two little ones. Unless you only need the spare one at certain times of the year
When purchasing a new washing machine think about the size of the drum as running a space saving machine two times will cost more than turning on a higher capacity machine for a single run.
Even the best boiler will not save you money if it’s two times the spec you need for your home.

Household appliances reduce in efficiency as they age so replace older items first and if you can, focus on the items that use the most energy.