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Buying Guide - Understanding Energy Guide Labels
Energy Star LogoThis easy-to-read guide may help you understand how appliances
are rated for efficiency, what the ratings mean, and what to look for while
shopping for new appliances.
The ENERGY STAR label is the government's seal of approval. It was created by
the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
These agencies set the criteria to help shoppers for large and small home
appliances identify the most energy-efficient products on the market. ENERGY
STAR-labeled appliances exceed existing federal efficiency standards,
typically, by 13 to 20 percent, and as much as 110 percent for some appliances.
Customers
can be assured that the appliance being purchased is a high-performance product
which will reduce the operating cost of that appliance or product every
month during the course of its lifetime.
Appliances
Rating
Special Considerations
Natural Gas
and Oil
Systems
AFUE is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating. The AFUE measures the
seasonal or annual efficiency. For ENERGY STAR® products, 90 is the AFUE rating.
Size is one of the most important factors affecting the efficiency of the AFUE.
Too large a system costs more and operates inefficiently. Bigger is not
always better! Have a professional assess your needs and recommend the type and
size of system you should purchase.
Room Air
Conditioners
EER is the Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher the EER, the more efficient the
unit is.
ENERGY STAR® units are among the most energy-efficient products and exceed
minimum federal standards by at least 15%.
Two major decisions should guide your purchase. Buy a
correctly sized unit*
! Buy an energy-efficient unit!
If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10%. If the unit is for a
kitchen, increase the capacity by 4,000 Btu per hour.
Central Air
Conditioners
SEER is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. SEER rates the efficiency during
the cooling season. Look for a SEER rating of 12 or above.
Air conditioners that bear the ENERGY STAR® label are at least 20% more
efficient than new air conditioners that meet the federal minimum standards for
efficiency and may be twice as efficient as some existing systems. Contact a
professional for advice on sizing a central air system.
Central
Air-to-Air
Heat Pumps
SEER indicates cooling efficiency. HSPF is the Heating Seasonal Performance
Factor and indicates heating efficiency.
If you live in a cool climate, look for a heat pump with a high HSPF. If you
purchase an ENERGY STAR® heat pump, you are getting a product that is in the
top 25% for efficiency. Contact a professional for advice on purchasing
air-to-air heat pumps.
Refrigerators and
Freezers
Look for the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) label on the appliance to tell you
how much electricity, in kilowatt-hours (kWh) a particular model will use
in one year. The smaller the number, the less energy it uses.
Look for an "energy saver" switch on models with the freezer on top. When
buying a frost-free refrigerator, find one with an energy-efficient option.
Refrigerators
with freezers on top are more efficient than those with freezers on the side.
Look for heavy door hinges, which create a good door seal. ENERGY STAR®-labeled
units exceed federal standards by at least 20%.
Dishwashers
EF is the Energy Factor. This number represents the number of complete cycles
that a dishwasher will operate while using one kilowatt-hour of electricity.
ENERGY STAR® dishwashers have an EF of 0.52 or greater, 13% better than current
federal standards.
Look for features that will reduce water use, such as booster heaters and smart
controls. Ask how many gallons of water the dishwasher uses during different
cycles. Dishwashers that use the least amount of water will cost the least to
operate.
Programmable Thermostats
Look for a thermostat that allows you to easily use two separate programs; an
"advanced recovery" feature that can be programmed to reach the desired
temperature
at a specific time; a hold feature that temporarily overrides the setting
without deleting preset programs. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label.
Clothes
Washers
EF stands for Energy Factor. The EF is the number of complete cycles that a
clothes washer will operate while using one kilowatt-hour of electricity. ENERGY
STAR® units must have an EF of 2.5 or more above the current federal standard
of 1.18.
Look for the following design features that help clothes washers cut water
usage: front-loading design, water level controls, "suds-saver" features, spin
cycle adjustment, and large capacity. For double the efficiency, buy an ENERGY
STAR® unit.
Hot Water
Heaters
EF is the Energy Factor rating the overall efficiency of the heater. The FHR is
the First Hour Rating of the system, which measures the maximum hot water
the heater will deliver in the first hour of use from a cold start.
Buy a water heater with a thick insulating shell. If you want hot water fast,
the FHR rating will be important to you. Sizing is important - call your local
utility for advice.
table end
*What size air conditioner to buy?
Area in
square feet
Btu/hour
100 to 150
5,000
150 to 250
6,000
250 to 350
7,000
350 to 400
9,000
400 to 450
10,000
450 to 550
12,000
550 to 700
14,000
700 to 1,000
18,000
Buying Guide - Energy Efficient Appliances
Produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy
You go shopping for a new refrigerator, and you're on a budget. The best buy is
the fridge with the lowest sale price, right? Not necessarily. If you buy
the lowest-priced refrigerator, you may end up spending more than if you buy a
more expensive one. The reason? The cost of owning a home appliance has
three components: the initial purchase price, the cost of repairs and
maintenance, and the cost to operate it.
To figure out how much you'll spend over the lifetime of the appliance, you
have to look at all these costs. The appliance with the lowest initial purchase
price, or even the one with the best repair record, isn't necessarily the one
that costs the least to operate. Here's an example of how an appliance's
energy consumption can affect your out-of-pocket costs.
Suppose you're in the market for a new refrigerator-freezer. Different models
of refrigerators with the same capacity can vary dramatically in the amount
of electricity they use. For one popular size and configuration, for example,
the annual electricity consumption varies across models from a low of about
600 kilowatt-hours a year to a high of more than 800 kilowatt-hours a year.
Based on national average electricity prices, that means the annual cost to
operate this refrigerator can range from about $50 to $70, depending on which
model you buy. A $20 difference in annual operating costs might not sound
like much, but remember that you will enjoy these savings year after year for
the life of the appliance, while you must pay any difference in purchase
price only once. As a result, you may actually save money by buying the more
expensive, more energy-efficient model.
You can learn about the energy efficiency of an appliance that you're thinking
about buying through the yellow-and-black EnergyGuide label it displays.
The Federal Trade Commission's Appliance Labeling Rule requires appliance
manufacturers to put these labels on:
* Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers
* Water heaters, furnaces, boilers
* Central air conditioners, room air conditioners, heat pumps
* Pool heaters
When you shop for one of these appliances in a dealer's showroom, you should
find the labels hanging on the inside of an appliance or secured to the outside.
The law requires that the labels specify:
* The capacity of the particular model
* For refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers and water heaters,
the estimated annual energy consumption of the model
* For air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, boilers and pool heaters, the
energy efficiency rating
* The range of estimated annual energy consumption, or energy efficiency
ratings, of comparable appliances.
Some appliances also may feature the EnergyStar logo, which means that the
appliance is significantly more energy efficient than the average comparable
model. For more information on the EnergyStar program, operated by the
Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, visit the
EnergyStar
website at
www.energystar.gov.
For an Energy-Smart Deal on Your Next Appliance...
* Read the EnergyGuide label.
* Compare the energy use of competing models.
* Estimate their differences in energy costs.
* Consider both purchase price and estimated energy use when deciding which
brand and model to buy.
Why should I care about energy efficiency?
The more energy efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run, and the
lower your utility bills. Using less energy is good for the environment, too;
it can reduce air pollution and help conserve natural resources.
Don't all appliances have to be energy efficient?
All major home appliances must meet energy conservation standards set by the
U.S. Department of Energy. It's the law. But many appliances beat the standard,
use even less energy and cost less to run.
What makes one appliance more efficient than another?
Most of the differences are on the inside -- in the motors, compressors, pumps,
valves, gaskets and seals, or in electronic sensors that make appliances
"smarter." Even if two models look the same from the outside, less-obvious
inside features can mean a big difference in your monthly utility bills.
How can I be sure energy efficiency claims aren't just sales hype?
Manufacturers must use standard test procedures developed by the Department of
Energy to prove the energy use and efficiency of their products. Many have
these tests performed by independent laboratories. The test results are printed
on the EnergyGuide labels, which manufacturers are required to put on many
of their appliances.
What's the purpose of EnergyGuide labels?
The EnergyGuide labels help you compare the efficiency or annual energy use of
competing brands and similar models. Look for the labels on clothes washers,
dishwashers, refrigerator/freezers, room air conditioners, water heaters, pool
heaters and on central home heating and cooling equipment. If you don't
see an EnergyGuide label, ask a salesperson for the information.
Shopping Strategy
1. Select the size and style. Measure the space the appliance will occupy to be
sure your new purchase will fit. Make sure that you'll have enough room
to open the door or lid fully and enough clearance for ventilation. This may
help you narrow your choices as you settle on the best capacity and style.
2. Know where to shop. Appliance outlets, electronics stores and local
retailers carry different brands and models. Dealers also sell appliances
through
print catalogs and the Internet.
3. Compare the performance of different brands and models. Ask to see the
manufacturer's product literature. Decide which features are important to you.
Ask questions about how the different models operate: Are they noisy? What
safety features do they have? What about repair histories? How much water do
they use? How energy efficient are they?
4. Estimate how much the appliance will cost to operate. The more energy an
appliance uses, the more it will cost to run. Consult the EnergyGuide label
to compare the energy use of different models. The difference on your monthly
utility bill can be significant, especially when considered over the
10-to-20-year
life of the appliance. You could save money over the long run by choosing a
model that's more energy efficient, even if the purchase price is higher.
5. Ask about special energy efficiency offers. Ask your salesperson or local
utility about cash rebates, low-interest loans or other incentive programs
in your area for energy-efficient product purchases -- and how you can qualify.
Tips to Lower Your Monthly Energy Bill
Being an energy-smart consumer means getting the most from the energy you use.
Here's how you can cut energy waste without sacrificing comfort or convenience.
* Move your refrigerator if it's near the stove, dishwasher or heat vents.
Vacuum the coils every three months to eliminate dirt buildup that reduces
efficiency.
Check the door gaskets for air leaks. Defrost the freezer when more than a
quarter-inch of ice builds up.
* Scrape but don't pre-rinse dishes by hand if you have a dishwasher that
automatically pre-rinses or has a rinse/hold cycle. Use the "energy saver"
option
found on many machines.
* Use pots that fit the size of your stove-top burners. Use lids on your pots
and pans so you can cook at a lower burner setting.
* Match the water level and temperature settings on your clothes washer to the
size of your load. Don't fill the whole tub for a few small items.
* Clean your clothes dryer filters after each use or as necessary.
* Ensure that the temperature on your water heater is set to 120 degrees. Some
thermostats are preset at the factory to 140 degrees.
As you go about setting up your home office with a new computer, printer, fax
machine, and maybe even a copy machine, consider that this equipment is going
to add to your electricity bills. A computer alone may not use more energy than
your television, but once you've put it all together, an office full of
equipment can definitely make its mark on your energy use.
Many electronic devices continue to use electricity even when switched off.
Most draw only a few watts, but with several pieces of office equipment, the
power drain can add up. The only solutions are to physically unplug these
appliances, or to turn off their power strips. This is easy, and it protects
your equipment against voltage surges such as lightning strikes.
You'll obviously have other considerations besides energy when you buy your
equipment, such as speed and capacity. Fortunately, you can find ENERGY STAR®
labels on almost every type of office equipment, at all levels of speed and
features. ENERGY STAR® devices will have lower operating costs than other
equipment.
Computers
Newer computers tend to be more energy-efficient than older ones. This is
partly because the demand for portable or laptop computers drove manufacturers
to make more efficient components so batteries would last longer. These
efficiency improvements now appear in desktop machines. That doesn't mean that
they will actually use less energy than older computers however. Why? Because
the new computers can do more--and that requires more power.
It's hard to compare the energy use of different computers. The rated power
levels found on the nameplate only give the maximum capacity of the power
supply.
They don't accurately reflect the average power usage, which tends to be much
lower. However, we can make a few generalizations.
Laptop computers use much less energy than desktop computers. A typical laptop
uses a maximum of 15 watts and it powers down (goes to sleep) when it's not
used for several minutes. A typical desktop computer uses about 130 watts
(including the monitor). If you are buying only one computer, a laptop offers
the extra versatility of being portable. On many laptops, you can hook up a
separate full-size monitor and keyboard for use when you're at home.
For desktop computers, an ENERGY STAR® label tells you that the computer has a
sleep feature. Although not quite as good as turning the machine off, this
is very useful if you must leave your computer on all the time to receive faxes
through a fax-modem. Just check to make sure that the sleep feature will
wake up the computer for incoming phone calls.
Computer Monitors
The monitor accounts for about half the energy use of a typical computer setup.
Large monitors use more energy than small ones--a 17-inch color monitor
uses about 35% more energy than a 14-inch color monitor. Color monitors use up
to twice as much energy as monochrome ones. And high-resolution monitors
use more energy than low-resolution models. Most monitors use cathode ray tube
(CRT) technology. But many laptop computers have liquid crystal displays
(LCDs). Color LCD monitors use only 10% to 20% as much power per square inch as
color CRT monitors.
Like computers, ENERGY STAR® monitors have a sleep feature that powers them
down (to 30 watts or less) after a period of inactivity. You can also cut your
monitor's energy use by turning it off whenever you aren't actively using it.
Even if you hesitate to turn off your computer for half an hour because you
don't want to wait for it to start up again, you can still turn off the monitor.
Printers
Printer energy use varies widely. Generally, the faster and higher-quality the
printer, the more energy it uses. But the biggest differences are among the
different types of printer. Dot matrix printers use relatively little energy,
but many people dislike their inferior print quality. Laser printers are
energy hogs, both during active use and in standby mode.
If you don't absolutely need the speed and superior quality of laser printouts,
consider getting a high-end ink jet printer, which will also cost a lot
less up front. Ink jet printers cannot compete with lasers when it comes to
speed, but the print quality is quite good on newer models--easily good enough
for most home office uses. Ink jet printers print well on used paper, so you
can print drafts on the back side of old work. This feature also allows you
to make double-sided printouts. (Laser printers tend to jam if you feed used
paper into them.) Reusing paper saves the energy used to make new paper (an
average of 15 watt-hours of energy is used to produce a single sheet of paper),
and it saves you the money of purchasing it.
If you do decide on a laser printer, you can cut energy use substantially by
getting a somewhat slower one. And turn the printer off when it's not in use.
Most printer energy is used while the machine is on standby. ENERGY STAR®
printers, like computers and monitors, go into a low-power (sleep) mode when
they haven't been called upon to print for awhile. If you're getting a high-end
laser printer, look for one that will print double-sided.
Copiers
A copier could be the highest energy user in your home office, especially if
you leave it on all day. Unless you're running a copy center, you probably
don't need a high-volume copier that can spew out 60 copies per minute. But
even a low-volume copier uses 40 to 70 watts during standby and 1,400 to 1,600
watts when copying. These numbers do not always appear on the equipment;
instead, they are often labeled only for peak power. Ask the dealer what the
American
Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) energy rating is for a copier you might
buy. Look for the most efficient model in the speed category you want.
All ENERGY STAR® copiers have an "energy saver" (sleep) setting and duplexing
capability (that is, they can copy double-sided). Look for a machine that
has a short "time to first copy" when you bring it back from sleep. Also, turn
the copier off whenever you don't need it to be ready to copy at a moment's
notice.
Facsimile
Fax machines can use a lot of energy because they are generally left on
constantly to receive incoming calls. Their standby energy use may therefore be
more important than their active energy use. ENERGY STAR® fax machines must
have a low-power sleep mode and the ability to scan both sides of a sheet of
paper. To further reduce power use, you should consider turning off the power
when a fax won't be used for a while.
There are currently four main types of fax machine on the market: direct
thermal (which uses heat-sensitive coated paper); thermal transfer (which can
use
plain paper); ink jet; and laser.
Laser faxes have the highest print resolution and use the most energy. They are
also quite expensive. Ink jet faxes use the least energy, and print with
relatively high resolution on plain paper. Machines that use thermal paper are
the least expensive to buy, but the paper is about three times as expensive
as plain paper, has a short shelf life, and is difficult to write on. If you
get a lot of faxes, an ink jet may pay for itself in saved paper costs within
a year or two.
Most fax machines can also be used to make copies. If you usually need to make
only a few copies from paper that can be fed through the machine (as opposed
to pages from a book), you won't need to buy a separate copier.
Combination Equipment
Space is often a consideration in a home office, and you may not have room for
a separate copier, fax machine, printer, and scanner. Combination machines
can save energy because you eliminate the standby losses of having four
machines. ENERGY STAR® labels now appear on the most energy-efficient
combination
equipment.
Myths About Home Office Equipment
Myth 1: It's better to leave computers on constantly than to turn them off when
you're not using them.
This was true back in the days of the mainframe, but it's not true anymore. The
lifetime of your hard disk is typically limited by head-disk mechanical
interactions and wear, rather than by electrical surges and thermal cycling
during start-up. It's a good practice to turn off your computer and monitor
(as well as your printer and copier) if you don't plan to use them again within
the next half hour.
Of course, many people now use a fax-modem on home computers and may need to
leave the central processing unit (CPU) on to receive faxes. If this is the
case, at least turn off the monitor when it's not in use. Monitors, especially
full-color units, can use as much energy as the CPU. Some CPUs can also
be put to sleep when awaiting faxes, rather than left on at full power.
Myth 2: Screen savers save energy.
Most screen savers do not save energy, unless they actually turn off the screen
or, in the case of laptops, turn off the backlight. Flying toasters or fireworks
use about as much energy as word processing. If you want to save energy and
save the screen, turn the monitor off by its switch (or its power strip) when
you're not using it.
Myth 3: Laser printers don't use much energy when they're not printing.
Laser printers draw about one third of their printing power when they are on
standby. For a laser printer capable of putting out eight pages per minute,
this means 100 watts. Turn off your laser printer when you're not printing.
Myth 4: An ENERGY STAR® computer will automatically power down ("put itself to
sleep") when it isn't used for a certain period of time.
ENERGY STAR® computers come with sleep capability--but the sleep feature has to
be turned on before the computer will automatically power down when not
in use. Many computers come with this feature turned off, and it's not always
obvious how to activate it. Make sure your new ENERGY STAR¨ computer comes
with the sleep feature turned on, or clear instructions on how to turn it on.
Finally, use the sleep feature only as a backup. You should still turn the
computer off when you're not using it.
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