CHICAGO — Fast-rising utility bills have helped homeowners embrace something many previously acted only lukewarm about: energy efficiency.
When it comes to home appliances, consumers have learned they can do the right thing environmentally and save money at the same time.
Perhaps no household appliance offers more potential for savings than a washing machine. An Energy Star-qualified clothes washer uses 15 to 25 gallons of water per load compared with 30 to 35 gallons by a standard machine, saving more than 7,000 gallons of water a year. Combined with lower electricity costs, the government says the machine can save the user $550 in operating costs over its lifetime compared to a regular clothes washer.
Rob Moore of Albany, N.Y., and his wife are motivated to both save money and the environment as they prepare to buy a front-loading washer that uses much less energy than a traditional or top-loading one.
“The environmental concerns are definitely big in our household,” said the 39-year-old Moore; he works for Environmental Advocates of New York and his wife Stephanie also works for an environmental group. “But long-term it’s also a pocketbook decision.”
In a reflection of increased consumer demand as well as manufacturers’ innovations in efficiency, 55 percent of the major appliances shipped to stores and distributors in the first half of 2008 carried the government’s Energy Star rating for high energy efficiency — up from just under 50 percent a year earlier, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
Front-loaders and advanced top-loaders typically use only one-third the water of a conventional top-loader, using sophisticated wash systems to flip or spin clothes through a reduced amount of water while also dramatically decreasing the amount of hot water used.
In addition, enhanced motors spin clothes two to three times faster during the spin cycle to extract more water, reducing moisture in clothes and resulting in less time and energy in the dryer.
What energy-conscious buyers need to know most is to look for the yellow Energy Star label, which means a product is among approximately the top 25 percent of all product models in energy efficiency.
The label guarantees three things, according to program spokeswoman Maria Vargas: That the product is more energy-efficient than a conventional product — delivering the same or better performance using less energy; that it’s a cost-effective purchase that will pay for itself in five years or less; and that there’s no sacrifice in performance.
Shoppers should also check products’ EnergyGuide labels required by the Federal Trade Commission. The labels provide an estimate of the product’s energy consumption and show comparisons with similar models.
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