Energy Use of an Energy Star Appliance Vs. Regular

Energy Star Criteria

• Energy Star appliances save different amounts of energy over standard models, depending on the product. However, all Energy Star models must contribute to saving a significant amount of energy using widely available technologies available from at least two manufacturers. Their performance must be measurable and verifiable through standard testing procedures and they must offer consumer-demanded performance and features comparable to standard models. Additionally, Energy Star appliances must either be priced similarly to standard models or offer enough savings in utility bills for consumers to recover any additional cost in a reasonable time frame.

Heating and Cooling

• According to the U.S. government's Energy Star program, heating a home accounts for approximately 29 percent of its annual energy usage and cooling it accounts for approximately 17 percent. Furnaces are the most popular residential heating systems, whether they run on propane, electricity, oil or gas. Energy Star models have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating of at least 85 percent with high efficiency blower motors, reducing energy consumption as much as 15 percent by comparison with conventional versions. Energy Star central air conditioners are as much as 14 percent more efficient than standard models, provided they use an energy-efficient blower motor.

Refrigeration

• Refrigerators made before 1993 use as much as 12.5 percent of a home's electricity. Energy Star models, however, provide better insulation and use technologies such as higher efficiency compressors, more accurate temperature control measures and better defrost mechanisms to reduce that energy usage as much as 50 percent.

Washing and Drying

• After refrigerators, washers and dryers use the most energy of any appliance in the average home. Energy Star washers use as much as 50 percent less energy per load, and their more efficient spin cycles can reduce drying time as much as 25 percent. The energy saved by using an Energy Star washer could light the average American home for one year.

Other Advantages

• Using Energy Star appliances in place of standard models can not only save energy but also conserve other resources. For instance, many Energy Star appliances qualify for cash rebates. Energy Star refrigerators can save the average household $100 a year over standard models, Energy Star heating and cooling systems can save several hundred dollars annually, and Energy Star washers use as little as half the water used by less efficient models.