Energy Efficient Appliances

The average U.S. household spends approximately $2,200 per year on its energy bills. Much of these energy costs originate from the use of basic home appliances, such as:

• Clothes Washers
• Dehumidifiers
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Room Air Conditioning
• Room Air Cleaners

In making purchasing decisions, many consumers focus solely on the “take home” price (or initial cost), with little if any regard for the total costs of the energy and water used by the particular appliance on a day-to-day basis through normal operation. The ENERGY STAR program is designed to provide consumers with information about the total life cycle cost of an appliance.

The ENERGY STAR program qualifies those appliances that incorporate advanced technologies that will typically use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than the more “conventional” makes and models.

Summary of Energy Efficient Appliances

The following table summarizes the benefits that could be realized by an average U.S. household by replacing a “conventional” appliance with one qualified through the ENERGY STAR program.

Appliance	Typical ENERGY STAR Impact
Clothes Washers	Reduce related energy costs by 33 percent and water costs by more than 50 percent (on average a reduction in annual utility bills of over $135)
Dehumidifiers	Use 10 to 20 percent less energy while removing the same amount of moisture as a “conventional” dehumidifier, equating to an average reduction of related energy costs by $20 per year ($250 over the lifespan of the unit)
Dishwashers	Use 31 percent less energy and 33 percent less water than “conventional” machines with improved cleaning performance.
Refrigerators	On average, ENERGY STAR refrigerators save $100 per year (a 50 percent reduction in related energy costs)
Freezers	On average, save $35 per year when using an ENERGY STAR Freezer in place of a more “conventional” freezer.
Room Air Conditioning	On average, ENERGY STAR room air conditioners use 10 percent less energy than “conventional” models (if every room air conditioner sold was ENERGY STAR qualified, over 1.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions would be avoided.
Room Air Cleaners	On average, ENERGY STAR qualified room air cleaners are 35 percent more energy efficient, saving 215 kWh per year ($16 annually in utility bills).

NOTE: Only those products listed by an ENERGY STAR partner are officially recognized as ENERGY STAR qualified.