What is an Energy Star Rating?

In an effort to promote and identify energy-efficient computers, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Energy Star program in 1992. Since then, the program has broadened and gives rating labels for over 40,000 products, including residential heating and cooling systems, major appliances, lighting, office equipment, home electronics, and even housing and office buildings.

Not all appliances labeled 'energy efficient' meet the Energy Star program criteria, however. Although the product might very well use less energy, it isn't qualified with an approved Energy Star label until it meets all of the requirements. In order to sport an Energy Star rating symbol, a manufacturer of the product must meet stringent energy efficiency guidelines set forth by the Energy Star program. So, what does all of this mean for the consumer? It means that when you buy a major appliance with a better energy rating, not only will you save money on energy costs when you use it, you will also help the environment since the appliance will emit less greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some common appliances a homeowner might buy, and why you might want to buy a model with an Energy Star rating:

• Refrigerators. All Energy Star qualified refrigerators are at least twenty percent more energy efficient than those not labeled with an Energy Star. They are designed to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted over the course of a lifetime. They are also less expensive to operate. Annual operating expenses for a refrigerator purchased before 1993 are estimated at $90, where a model currently with an Energy Star rating operates at about $56 annually.
• Clothes washers. All Energy Star qualified washing machines provide over forty percent water savings and twenty-five percent energy savings compared to non-qualified, conventional, top-load washing machines. Some use as little as sixteen gallons of water to wash a load of clothes, compared with the forty gallons of water used in older models.
• Dishwashers. All Energy Star dishwashers must be at least forty-one percent more energy efficient than the current standard, and saves an average of $160 over the life of the product. They also can conserve about four hundred gallons of water annually.

The fine print of an Energy Star label shows the typical energy usage in kilowatt usage per year. The lower the number, the more efficient the appliance is to operate.