ENERGY EFFICENT APPLIANCES
With our economy struggling to recover, many people have delayed purchasing new energy efficient appliances trying to save every dollar possible.
Overcoming the cost to purchase new ENERGY EFFICENT APPLIANCES can take time, but we all must look at the bigger picture of energy savings and reduced carbon emissions in our home.
The savings from purchasing energy efficient appliances can add up quickly paying for the cost of the new appliances through the savings in lower energy bills in as little as a few years.
The average home spends about $2,000 on energy bills every year? Change to appliances that have earned the
EERGY STAR
Label, and you can save $75 a year per energy efficient appliance average in energy costs, while saving the environment.
The average home actually causes more air pollution than the average car.
Many of the most energy efficient appliances cost more initially, but they'll save you money in the long run. Expect to keep most major appliances between 10 and 20 years. A more efficient appliance soon pays for itself; lower monthly utility bills over the lifetime of the appliance will more than offset a higher purchase price. In addition, the latest resource-efficient clothes washers and dishwashers not only save electricity; they also use a lot less water and can reduce your water bill.
REFRIGERATORS
If you are thinking of replacing an old appliance, the refrigerator is a good place to start. New energy efficient Energy Star Refrigerators consume 75 % less energy than those produced in the late 1970s. A family replacing a 1980 vintage fridge with one that meets today's standards will save more than $100 a year in utility costs. Go one step further and buy an energy efficient appliance( Energy Star)qualified model, and your new refrigerator will save you an additional 15 % or more having better insulation, more energy efficient compressors with precise temperature and defrost controls.
CLOTHES WASHER
The average American family washes an average of 400 loads of laundry each year. Most American families could cut their related energy costs by more than a third and the water costs by more than half by purchasing
clothes washer with the ENERGY STAR label.
Water heating consumes about 90% of the energy it takes to operate a clothes washer. Unless you’re dealing with oily stains, washing in cold water will generally do a good job of cleaning.
Many of today’s laundry detergents are more effective at washing clothes in cold water.
If your washer is over 10 years old, replace it with a new energy efficient appliance (ENERGY STAR) qualified washer and you could save over $145 each year on your utility bills.
From hot to warm can cut energy use in half. Using the cold cycle reduces energy use even more.
Front- vs. Top-Loading Washers 
In general, horizontal-axis (usually front-loading) washers are much more efficient than conventional vertical-axis (top-loading) washers with agitators. This is because front-loading washers don't have to fill the tub completely with water. New top-loading designs that use sprayers to wet the clothes from above can also achieve substantial energy and water savings compared to conventional top-loaders.
Over the life of your new energy efficient appliance
(ENERGY STAR) qualified washer
, you’ll save enough money in operating costs to pay for the matching dryer with your water savings.
CLOTHES DRYERS
Dryers are not regulated by the government so there is no requirement to display the Energy Guide label on clothes dryers and no ENERGY STAR program for them. From an energy perspective, it makes little sense to replace a well-functioning dryer before the end of its useful life.
If you can't air-dry your laundry, save on drying time by drying similar fabrics together, drying multiple loads in quick succession, Make sure to clean the dryer filter after each use.
Higher spin-speeds in very efficiency washers are designed to remove more water. This reduces drying time. And if you utilize the cool setting features on a dryer will have a big impact on energy use.
Buying a energy efficient model that senses dryness and automatically shuts off rather than counting on you to estimate the time it will take can save you 20% in energy costs. Most of the better quality dryers today include this feature. The best energy efficient dryers have moisture sensors in the drum for sensing dryness. The lower-cost, thermostat-controlled models may over dry some types of clothes, but these are much better than timed-dry machines.
DISHWASHERS
A new dishwasher is not only more efficient than older models, but it's also better at getting dishes clean. Manufacturers of new energy efficient dishwashers no longer recommend that you pre-wash your dishes. Simply scrape the remaining food off your dishes and place them in the machine as is. This will save you time and save money on your water bill.
The most efficient dishwashers use less hot water, have energy-efficient motors and use sensors to determine the length of the wash cycle and the water temperature needed to do the job. The newest energy efficient appliances (Energy Star) dishwashers are 25 percent more efficient than the minimum federal standards.
Replacing a pre-1994 dishwasher with anEnergy Star dishwasher can save $40 a year on utility costs.
STOVES, RANGES AND OVENS 
If you are considering buying a new energy efficient range or oven, you can expect to live with your purchase for the next 20 years. The choice you make in the store can save you a little or a lot of money over the next two decades.
You must look beyond the initial price tag. All new energy efficient appliances have two costs - the purchase price, and the operating cost, or the money that you pay out month after month, year after year, in the form of your electric and gas utility bills. That on-going utility expense is important to consider, for in most cases it may be as much or more than the purchase price of the energy efficient appliance.
Today, about 60 percent of American households cook with electricity, but gas cooking is making a steady increase, for good reason. A gas stove costs less than half as much to operate as an electric one, provided it is equipped with electronic ignition instead of a pilot light. The electronic pilotless ignitions reduce gas usage by about 30 percent over a constantly burning pilot light. These are also more convenient, eliminating the need to restart a standing pilot light.
Consider the new energy efficient Convection ovens. These are new designs that continually circulate heated air around the food being cooked. (Think of an oven with a built-in fan.) Convection ovens distribute heat more evenly than ordinary ovens, so cooking time and cooking temperatures can be reduced, cutting energy use by about 30% on average
COOK-TOPS
When shopping for an Energy Efficient cook-top, don’t forget the long-term savings and long-term goals for energy efficient appliances. You will want a cook top that is insulated and adequately vented. There is a range of high performance energy saving solutions.
Cook top options:
• Gas Burners
• Electric Cook-Top
• Ceramic Glass Cook-Tops (Halogen):
• Ceramic Glass Cook-Tops (Radiant):
• Standard Electric Coils:
• Solid Disk Elements: 
The electric cook-top is the one of the most energy efficient cooktops available This Investment can keep your kitchen and family safe from unwanted heat, burns,fires and air toxins.
You Can maintain control over the heat you need without burning off expensive gas fuels.
While the initial purchasing costs of gas ore electric Energy efficient cook-tops are expensive, they outlast your average range by many
years through lower maintenance and problems. They are high-performing ranges with extended durability. An eco-friendly range also uses less energy with more productivity, which will save as much or more than the purchase price over the life time of the appliance.
WATER HEATERS
Most tank hot water heaters are factory pre-set at 140 degrees. This may be more than you need, especially in a one or two person household. If your hot water tank is 30 gallons or higher try lowering the thermostat to 120 degrees. Experiment within the 120-140 range to find the lowest setting which supplies you with enough hot water. Every degree you reduce you will save an average of 2% energy costs and reduce pollution.
TANKLESS WATER HEATERS
Space saving, highly energy efficient "tank less" or on demand hot water heaters can deliver as much as 200 gallons of hot water per hour and since there is no tank to run out, they supply hot water endlessly. Because there is no storage tank to keep heated all day, and no pilot light, these water heaters only burn gas when you need hot water. This eliminates standby heat loss which can be as high as 3 - 4 % every hour for
storage tank type water heaters
When buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses.
ENERGY STAR INFORMATION
qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10–50% less energy and water than standard models. The money you save on your utility bills can more than make up for the cost of more expensive but more efficient ENERGY STAR model.
For top performance, premium features, and energy savings, look for energy-efficient clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, room air conditioners and dehumidifiers that have earned the ENERGY STAR. This mark may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy guide label ,
A featured part of the stimulus package that went through the United States Congress the Energy Savings Tax Credit
this credit, for up to $1,500, is intended to encourage the installation of energy-efficient items such as windows, doors, furnaces, heat pumps, water heaters, energy efficient appliances, etc.
A major problem is that many of the improvements you choose may not qualify for the credit. Each energy efficient item must meet certain criteria established by government guidelines in order to qualify.
When looking into replacing a energy efficient appliance you must look at all the criteria to qualify for the credit. Those that do qualify are generally at the high end of cost.
You need to thoroughly research all energy saving improvements to see if they qualify for the credit or you may have a big surprise at tax time.
Like everything your government gives us, if it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
Find out about your tax credits and incentives to purchase energy efficient appliances
Join the group of concerned energy conservation advocates with your views on energy efficient appliances at anewdirectionsavingenergy.
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