How to Buy Energy Efficient Appliances

Be sure to check out Part 1 of this article (Do You Own Energy Efficient Appliances?).

Now that you've determined which of your appliances need to be shipped out and replaced, you need to know what to be on the lookout for.

In this analysis phase, you need to compare your findings from the discovery stage with the details of newer appliances. There is no magical threshold to be met, since everything is relative. Simply go to your local hardware store and look at the Energy Star ratings. One of the best indicators of the efficiency of new appliances is the Energy Star tag. This tag will display the number of kWh the appliance uses (also known as the Energy Guide Rating), as well as an estimated annual use cost. Clearly, you want to look for the ones with the lowest values. This equals less energy use and a lower power bill. Compare these number to what you have at home. If you don't have numbers to compare it to, this itself might be a sign that you are in need of a newer more energy efficient appliance.

Once you have learned which appliances need to replaced, it's time to get out there, and find some new appliances. During this research phase, you'll want to keep your eye open for certain requirements and features. Some things you want to watch for are the following:

Refrigerator

1) "Energy saver" switch - This can turn off the anti-sweat heaters, which help reduce moisture. Fortunately, this is not needed most of the year.

2) Smaller unit size - The smaller the refrigerator, the better. There's no reason to cool more area than you need.

3) More insulation, such as heavy door hinges which prevents cold air from escaping.

Washer

1) Front loaders typically have a higher capacity and lower water usage. This is over the older-style top loaders, which typically have an agitator built in the center.

2) High spin speed to remove excess water. This help reduce the amount of time needed to fully dry your clothes. The more water your washer removes, the less drying time you need in the dryer.

3) Load size sensor to reduce the amount of water used for smaller loads. This sensor will automatically detect the size of your load, in order to reduce the total amount of water needed.

Dryer

1) Moisture detector to prevent unnecessary drying time. Once the dryer senses the majority of moisture has been removed, the dryer will notify you to end the cycle, if desired.

2) Find a dryer that is large enough to reduce the overall number of loads. If you can run one larger load, versus 2 smaller loads, you will reduce the total energy needed. This is mainly due to the dryer already being heated, versus having to heat it twice from scratch.

3) Note: Dryers are NOT Energy Star Rated. This means you will not find an Energy Guide Rating sticker on dryers. The main reason for this, is most dryers use a similar amount of energy.

At this stage you should have narrowed down your choice of appliances. Of course you need to have a good balance of practicality and energy efficiency. Don't pay for features you don't need such as larger capacity appliances, or steam cycles. More features do not typically equal a better savings for the end user.