Energy Star Appliances Conserve Energy & Money
When Buying a New Appliance Makes Sense & Saves Money
Jun 25, 2009
Many people are watching energy bills increase as world demand for energy skyrockets. Owners of residential wind and solar systems usually look to reduce electricity demand first. Looking for ways to decrease electricity usage reveals many easy answers like turning off the lights when leaving a room or turning down the temperature on a water heater.
Other big electricity drainers are hiding in plain sight. Lots of press has been given to "leeching" appliances that continue to use electricity even when turned off. These are easy to find. Look for warm or hot areas in cabinets where they are stored or around the cases of the appliance.
The quickest way to reduce electricity usage from leeching is to plug these units (TVs and entertainment center equipment are classic offenders) into a power strip which can be switched off. Many other appliances do not leech electricity but are just old and use more energy than their modern counterparts.
Repairing or Replacing an Appliance
Appliances seem to fall into the middle range cost of consumer goods. Appliances cost enough to be classified as major purchases for many people – purchases expected to operate for years without trouble. So, if they require repair after 6 or 7 years, the choice between spending a couple hundred dollars on repairs or buying a new appliance can be tough.
One of the basic guidelines is to replace any appliance that will cost more than half its value to repair. The other thing to consider is energy usage. According to the Energy Star site, appliances with the Energy Star rating use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than conventional models and even more compared to older appliances.
When to Replace Older Working Appliances to Save Electricity
It is sometimes hard to justify a major purchase like an appliance to cut electricity usage. Since new appliances cost more due to inflation and technology than older appliances, it may not make sense to replace some old appliances. However, any time an appliance purchased before 1993 breaks down, electricity savings from an Energy Star qualified replacement often pay for the new appliance.
Refrigerators and freezers can last seemingly forever. It is not uncommon to see 30-, 40- or even 50-year-old refrigerators and freezers in the basement, garage or wet bar for extra storage. The savings calculator on the Energy Star site figures replacing a refrigerator made before 1980 with an Energy Star model can save over $200 a year. Replacing an equally old chest freezer would save over $120 a year.
Replacing working washers, dryers and dishwashers may not save quite as much electricity, but water savings can be considerable. According to Eric Freed's article, "Replace Your Old Appliances with New Energy-Efficient Ones" on ecomii.com, replacing a pre-1990 washer can save up to $110 a year.
In the United States, Federal tax incentives for renewable energy and efficiency improvements make new appliances even more attractive. Purchase of an Energy Star qualified appliance is eligible for a 30 percent credit on federal income taxes.
So, if the refrigerator, freezer or washing machine are more than 20 years old, replace them with Energy Star qualified appliances. Energy and tax savings will pay for the replacements, often within 5 or 6 years. Other new Energy Star qualified appliances definitely save energy, but it may not pay to replace them until they break.
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