Do your Black Friday shopping spree plans include shopping for a clothes washer, clothes dryer, dishwasher or refrigerator?
If you’re buying appliances on Black Friday, whatever you buy, make sure they carry the ENERGY STAR logo. Here’s why, courtesy of Appliances Connection, a one-stop shop for appliances and a good source for suggestions on how to save energy.
Why ENERGY STAR? Cleaner Air, Lower Bills
After heating and cooling, our homes gobble up the most energy by powering our appliances. Clothes washers, clothes dryers, refrigerators, freezers, stoves and ovens all run on either electricity or, in the case of some stoves and clothes dryers, natural gas.
Most electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants. Burning both coal and natural gas releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. This CO2 creates a gaseous blanket over the earth that causes global warming and climate change.
Burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas also pollutes the air with smoggy particles that can make it difficult for people to breathe. Polluted air causes asthma and other respiratory problems and can increase the chances that someone will have a heart attack.
Appliances that carry the ENERGY STAR logo are independently certified to meet standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its many partners to ensure that appliances perform exceptionally well while saving energy and, in the case of clothes washers, water.
What difference does it make?
Let’s take just one example: Clothes washers.
⇒ EPA says that “clothes washers that meet ENERGY STAR criteria use as much as one-third less water and energy compared to conventional machines.
⇒ You’re wasting 10 gallons of water every time you wash with a non-ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer.
⇒ If you use an ENERGY STAR-certified clothes washer, you can save enough money on energy and water to pay for a clothes dryer!
By the way, many appliances now use this “high efficiency” label. But ENERGY STAR says that, “there are no standards for energy efficiency” associated with it. “Only products that have earned the ENERGY STAR are independently certified to save energy.”
If you buy a clothes washer that is labeled with both ENERGY STAR and the “High E,” make sure you use High E detergent.
Here’s a sample clothes washers that have earned the ENERGY STAR logo.
What Else Should You Look For When Buying Appliances on Black Friday?
- Size – In addition to the ENERGY STAR logo, consider how much capacity you need. If you’re a two-person household, do you need a machine with capacity for 12?
- Energy-Saving Options – Many machines can let you choose different cycles so you can air dry dishes or use a high-spin cycle with clothes to remove most of the water before you put them in the dryer. Dryers may come with moisture sensors so they will shut off when they sense the clothes are dry, rather than keep running for a certain amount of time.
- Ability to Recycle Old Appliances – Many utilities now pay their customers to pick up old refrigerators and air conditioners, then offer a rebate when the customer purchases a more energy efficient model.
Appliances Connection has compiled detailed buying guides that will help you save energy, water, and money as well as purchase the appliance that makes the most sense for you. They offer buying guides for pretty much any appliance you’re buying, as well as for bedroom furniture, mattresses, even sofas.
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