Energy Efficient Appliances

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

Here you will understand everything you need to know about electricity efficient household appliances. Learn more about what energy electricity saving household appliances are, how they work, the advantages of using them and when you should make the investment. For questions concerning energy-efficient appliances and other home appliances, contact Gibbs Appliance Repair.

What is an Energy Efficient Household Appliance?

Put simply energy efficiency is making use of lower energy to give the same results. For example, replacing an incandescent light bulb with an energy efficient LED bulb that produces the same illumination or insulating your roof so you need less heating.

Energy efficiency is linked to but different from energy conservation which involves making use of less energy by requiring a different result. Eg choosing to cycle when you might normally have used the car or just running the washing machine when you have a full load.

Electricity saving devices are designed to offer equivalent outcomes using less energy allowing you to save money. Less energy usage result in lower energy bills and fewer environmental impacts.

Many household appliances available in the USA are ENERGY STAR marked, meaning they offer better energy efficiency compared to lower rated models, typically ranging from 10-50%. Most devices also have EnergyGuide labels which display how efficient they are when looked at next to other equal capacity appliances.

These ratings can be a great starting point when deciding if a device is electricity saving or not.

Types of Low Energy Appliances

Some different types of low energy appliances include:

Fridges
Air Conditioners
Water Heaters
Washers
Dishwashers

How Energy Conserving Devices work

Electricity efficient household appliances work by utilizing the best current techniques to maximize efficiency. That might look like more advanced insulation in fridges, dirt sensors in dishwashers, or moisture sensors in clothes dryers to reduce drying time.

Advantages of Electricity Efficient Goods

Choosing electricity saving appliances makes sense for multiple reasons:

Reducing energy. The less energy intensive a device is the less power it uses . Meaning you can experience a big reduction in energy consumption without losing any productivity.
Saving money. Although more efficient household appliances may have a bigger initial cost they will generally save you money over time by cutting your electricity bills.
Environmental advantages. Most of the power we use in our homes comes from non-renewable resources and results in the emission of greenhouse gases. Lessening our exploitation of fossil fuels also preserves them for future use in a more sustainable way.
Fuel Security. With resource prices consistently increasing and natural resources continually being used up choosing more efficient devices makes it easier to meet demand.

Do Low Energy Household Appliances Actually Reduce Bills?

Electricity saving appliances save you money by reducing your power usage and therefore your energy bills.

The amount you save and whether or not you notice a substantial reduction in your monthly bills will depend on the relative efficiency of the old and new appliances, the intensity of use and the lifespan of the product.

The older the appliance you are replacing is the more significant the difference you are likely to see. In the same way the more energy the device needs to run the bigger the possible savings. For example replacing an broken, wasteful, oversized air conditioning unit with a new ENERGY STAR rated one that is the exact size for your space, could make a notable impact whereas replacing your fridge with one that is merely 10% less energy intensive will have a much less noticeable impact.

Research suggests that if your fridge was produced over 20 years ago you could gain up to $270 in five years, however if it was built in the last 10 years the money you save will be much less significant.

You also have to ensure you understand your devices energy saving functions to get the most significant reductions. For example, manual defrost is more energy-efficient than auto defrost, but only if you remember to keep defrosting.

When contrasting new household appliances factoring in both the purchase price and the running costs will help you make the top choice for you.

How Energy Efficient Appliances Help the Environment

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

Our actions have irreversible impacts on the natural world, one of the most pressing of which is the release of greenhouse gasses into the air through the burning of oil and gas that can be correlated to air pollution and global warming.

As the general population become more aware of the environmental effect of our daily actions the market is replying with more environmentally friendly solutions to our problems. Whether that is reusable water bottles or in this case low energy washing machines.

What are ENERGY STAR certified Appliances?

The ENERGY STAR mark was formed in 1992 to ensure an readily recognizable way for buyers to opt-for more sustainable devices.

Certified products must meet both power efficiency and consumer requirements in regards to fulfillment and features.

The conditions for the ENERGY STAR certification are different for different types of goods. In order to gain the star mark, devices are required to be at least a certain percentage more efficient than the standard product in their category.

This means, not all ENERGY STAR certified appliances are the same in terms of efficiency. I.e a washing machine that uses 10% less energy and one that uses 20% less energy might get the symbol. Therefore although only looking at products with the symbol is a good first step, it is still worth looking into the actual energy usage before picking the best one for you.

Is an Electricity Efficient Appliance the Best Choice for Your Home?

Energy efficient household appliances really do make a difference on an individual and global level, meaning more money in your pocket and better use of energy and resources.

Next time you are shopping for a new device read the EnergyGuide label. This shows the amount of energy an appliance gets through and makes it more straight forward to decide between 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 matters when it comes to home appliances. For example:

Paying for one large fridge requires less energy than running two smaller ones. Unless you only need the extra one occasionally
When choosing a replacement washing machine think about the load size as running a lower capacity machine two times is less efficient than running a higher capacity machine for a single run.
Even the best water heater will never reduce your bills if it’s three times the capacity you require for your home.

Appliances reduce in efficiency as they get older so replace over 10 years old first and if you are able to, focus on the ones that contribute most to your overall energy usage.