Modern households use a lot of appliances to make life comfortable and easy. The cost of using appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators can add up –especially considering that electricity bills are getting higher. Whether consumers are looking at getting new appliances or replacing old ones, there are several good ones available on the market now – with the energy star label. These appliances use much less energy, work efficiently, save consumers money and reduce the impact on the environment – without taking away from one’s lifestyle.
The cost of running and maintaining appliances does add to the price that a customer pays – for any appliance. The impact on electric bills should not be forgotten. Energy ratings labels on appliances and other electronic equipment like televisions and computers offer more information and better choices. So what should a customer look at when looking at new appliances?
Tips for Choosing Appliances:
- Picking the right product: Before buying a new appliance, consider whether it is necessary, what it will cost and how to dispose of the appliance when it is no longer useful. Buy the appropriate size so that it will fit in to available space and use less energy.
Picking a washing machine or dishwasher which uses less water is a good idea. Also consider buying gas powered clothes dryers as opposed to electric ones.
- Choosing Energy Saving Appliances: Most electronic equipment like televisions, computers and set top boxes is important too. There are websites which offer such information – check before buying. LED TVs are cheaper to have than plasma TVs. LED TVs are even better as they use less power than plasma or LCD TVs.
- Other Appliances: appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers tend to use a lot more energy. Replacing these and upgrading will help save on electricity, water use and also other resources like soap and detergent.
- Pumps and Lights: New energy saving bulbs are now available in the market – these are a good investment too. Using timers and turning off lights in vacant rooms will help saving money. What people don’t think of are things like pumps for swimming pools. There are good products available for this purpose too.
Other Areas for Energy Savings:
Where else can one get energy savings? The HVAC system in a home can be a big energy drain. Check with an advisor to see how home improvement can help. One can also use programmable thermostats to keep the home comfortable in the summer or winter and save money.
Using a total home approach will not only save energy, provide comfortable living conditions but also cut down on environmental impact.