The appliances in your home can account for 20% or more of your household’s annual utility bills, so switching to an energy efficient model, even if more expensive at the outset, is definitely the way to go to save money in the long run. Every appliance can be optimized for energy efficiency, from tv’s to refrigerators to heaters to washing machines to humidifiers. There are numerous benefits that come with energy efficient appliances, and you’ll notice a huge difference in your day-to-day functioning when you use energy efficient options over traditional dated models.

What Makes an Appliance Energy Efficient?

This isn’t an easy question to answer since each appliance will have different features and specs that make it more energy efficient than the competition. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular energy efficient appliances to see how these units outperform their les efficient counterparts:

• Refrigerators that are more energy efficient have freezers on the bottom or top rather than the side of the fridge, they have high-efficiency compressors that use less energy and produce less heat, they have improved airflow, improved insulation, and more precise defrost and temperature mechanisms.
• Washing Machines use cold water to avoid wasted electricity to heat the water, have no central agitator so each load uses less water and less energy, and often feature high-speed spin cycles that can extract more water to make the dry cycle more efficient as well.
• Clothes Dryers use improved temperature and moisture sensors for shorter dry times, have reverse tumble settings to dry clothes evenly and more quickly, have better insulation, and use improved air circulation with an improved drum design.
• Dishwashers have more efficient jets for spraying water and detergent, strategically designed dish racks for cleaning, feature soil sensors to monitor the dirty dishes throughout the wash to adjust the cycle to reduce water consumption, and have better water filtration for more efficient use of detergent and water.
• Dehumidifiers use advanced compressors, refrigeration coils, and fans to save energy but remove the same amount of moisture from the air.
• TVs that use low-energy LED lighting to backlight the screen are more efficient and use the least amount of energy compared to LCDs and Plasma screen TVs. TVs with automatic sleep functions or picture off options are also more energy efficient.
• Furnaces provide 90% or more annual fuel utilization efficiency as opposed to 80% via standard furnaces, meaning less energy is used just to expel exhaust rather than produce and maintain heat in your home.

Benefits of Using Energy Efficient Appliances

• Financial Savings: Energy efficient appliances offer significant savings compared to regular appliances. They use less energy and water to operate, meaning that you’ll spend less on utility bills every single month. If you replace your old appliances with new energy efficient models, you can save up to 30% on your electricity bills alone.
• Boost the Value of Your Home: Energy efficient appliances – and energy efficient homes in general – are becoming more sought after in recent years. If your home has energy efficient appliances and systems already installed, you’ll be able to sell your home more easily and will get more for it than if you didn’t invest in energy efficient appliances.
• Lower Your Environmental Footprint: Since the beginning of the Energy Star program, energy efficient appliances have reduced emissions by 2.4 billion metric tons. Your household can easily jump on this bandwagon and reduce your household emissions by up to 130,000 lbs over the lifetime of your more efficient appliances in every room of your home.
• Operational Upgrades. Not only are energy efficient appliances better for the environment, they often work better than ordinary appliances. These appliances are more high-tech than most other options, and they’re designed to perform better all across the board, from heating your home faster to getting your clothes cleaner. You’ll be able to enjoy all of the frills of a high-end appliance with the energy efficiency you crave.
• Improved Quality of Life: Old appliances can be a real pain to use, even if only for the fact that they don’t have the same advanced features of new features. But more than that, they don’t work as efficiently and may make chores much more frustrating. Energy efficient appliances are much more convenient and simpler to use, and they’ll make your life much easier, whether that means drying your clothes faster, heating your home more evenly, or preserving the food in your fridge for longer.

Energy Star Efficient Appliances

Any appliance with the Energy Star approval label is a great choice for your home. Depending on the type of appliance, you can increase your energy efficiency by 10-50%, especially if you’re currently using old appliances. You can save up to $400 on energy, power, and water bills per year by replacing your inefficient appliances with more efficient alternatives. While there are ways to improve the energy efficiency of older appliances through a few tips and tricks, you won’t notice significant changes in your bill amount unless you’ve replaced them with Energy Star appliances.