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 An
Energy Star label can equal energy
efficiencyWhen
purchasing a new appliance, a piece of
office equipment or heating and cooling
systems, remember to look for the Energy
Star label, the symbol for energy
efficiency. The Energy Star label was
created by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency in partnership with the U.S.
Department of Energy. Together they set
energy-efficiency criteria that products
must meet in order to qualify for the label.
In voluntary partnership with the
government, manufacturers and retailers
agree to put the Energy Star label on
qualifying equipment.
Refrigerator: Check the Federal Trade
Commission label to tell you how much
electricity, in kilowatt-hours (kWh), will
be used by a model in one year.
Refrigerators with freezers on top are more
efficient than those with freezers on the
side; look for an energy-saver switch
inside.
Dishwasher: Energy Star dishwashers
have an Energy Factor (EF) -- the number of
complete cycles that a dishwasher will
operate while using 1 kWh of electricity--
of 0.52 or greater, 13% better than current
federal standards. Check for water reduction
features and ask how much water the
dishwasher uses.
Programmable Thermostat: Choose a
thermostat that sets two or more programs,
an advanced recovery feature that allows the
heating system to "ramp up" to temperature
at a certain time and a hold feature to
temporarily override the settings without
deleting them.
Clothes Washer: Energy Star units
must have an EF -- the number of complete
cycles a clothes washer will run while using
1 kWh of electricity--of 2.5 or more. Look
for features that help cut water usage.
Water Heater: Buy one with a thick
insulating shell. Compare the First Hour
Rating which measures the maximum amount of
hot water the unit will deliver from a cold
start in the first hour of use.
TV and VCR: Both use energy even when
turned off to power features such as remote
control and channel memory. A new Energy
Star-labeled TV consumes up to 75 percent
less energy than an older TV when switched
off; a new VCR consumes up to 70 percent
less.
Photocopier: Energy Star photocopiers
automatically turn off after a period of
inactivity, reducing annual electricity
costs by more than 60 percent. |
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