Using Energy Efficient Appliances In Your Home

What can energy efficient appliances and Energy Star do for you as a consumer?

What is Energy Star?

It's a voluntary programme originally begun in the US; with it, manufacturers of appliances affix the Energy Star label to appliances that qualify for the Energy Star programme to show that they are more energy-efficient, and therefore use fewer energy resources and reduce pollution.

If an appliance has an Energy Star label, consumers know that they'll be able to save money and reduce energy expenditures; perhaps most importantly, though, consumers can conserve natural resources like water and reduce pollution like greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy efficient appliances with the Energy Star label can reduce energy costs and water usage, of course, but many of these appliances also simply function better and do a better job than their older counterparts do even as they use less energy, less water, and so on.

Thus, for you as a consumer, you can expect that money you spend buying new appliances will be returned to you in a relatively short period of time through cost savings; at the same time, you can expect that your dishes will be cleaner, your clothes will be cleaner, and so on.

Where can UK consumers buy Energy Star appliances at present?

Because the Energy Star programme is just getting started in the UK, only electronics and office products are currently included in the programme. However, lighting, major appliances, home electronics, and the construction of new homes, industrial and commercial buildings will all eventually be included in the Energy Star programme with its focus on efficiency, conservation and energy savings.

Are there any energy efficient appliances for the home that currently qualify for the Energy Star label?

At present, electronics companies are scrambling to make their products Energy Star compliant for consumers, particularly with televisions. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of conservation and the environment, so these and other companies will need to jump on board with Energy Star eventually to keep stride with what consumers want.

The Energy Star sticker will be updated in May of 2010; at that time, televisions will be required to be 40% more efficient than previous year models. Guidelines will also become increasingly stringent, so that the updated Energy Star sticker for 2011 will require that appliances be 65% more efficient than previous year models.

When can UK consumers expect Energy Star appliances to become prevalent in other applications?

No specific time has been given as to when energy efficient appliances besides electronics will be Energy Star rated. However, with consumers increasingly savvy about environmental issues and resource conservation, manufacturers will need to take note and make these changes so as to make their appliances more salable.

Is there anything consumers can do at home to reduce energy costs?

Even though Energy Star appliances are still largely not available in the UK yet, as more of them come on the market you should take a look at yours and replace any that consume more energy than necessary to do their jobs. Even if an appliance is only several years old and still works fine, replacing it can mean major cost and energy savings.

And that means that you as the consumer will have much less of a negative impact on the environment, because you reduce your "carbon footprint." The carbon footprint measures the personal impact you have on the environment either in a positive or negative fashion, which includes the responsible use of resources.

There is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint right now, and that is to replace the incandescent bulbs in your home with fluorescent ones. Fluorescent bulbs use a fraction of the energy incandescent bulbs do to provide the same light. In addition, they last much, much longer, so that there's much less waste as compared to incandescent bulbs.