This seems like a fairly easy question to answer, right? Most energy-efficient appliances are labeled, which we will talk about in just a minute. However, we also want to discuss how energy efficient your appliances are and just how much money these products are saving you in your home.
Energy Efficient Labels
This will be the easiest way to tell if you have energy-efficient appliances in the home. Appliances that fall into this category are usually clearly labeled. The most common is an “Energy Star” label, which means the appliance meets the program’s minimum requirements. However, there are different tiers to this program.
- Energy Star – meets minimum requirements.
- Save More Energy Star – more efficient than the standard rating
- Most Efficient Energy Star – the most efficient appliances available under the program
In addition to the federal Energy Star program, there can also be a Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) rating. Just like Energy Star, there are various levels of ratings:
- CEE Tier 1 – meets minimum requirements
- CEE Tier 2, 3, or 4 – these are mid-level tiers, comparable to the Save More Energy Star rating
- CEE Advance Tier – this is on part with the Most Efficient Energy Star rating
How Much Energy Am I Using?
This is just a simple formula that will enable you to calculate the usage of your appliances:
(wattage x hours used per day) / 1,000 = daily kilowatt hours consumed
If you are trying to figure out how much you spend on an annual basis, just multiply that number by the days used.
To figure out the wattage of the appliance, just check the Energy Guide sticker on the appliance, as it will list the appliance’s “average” energy consumption in kWh hours.
This is always something that is good to monitor over the lifespan of the appliance, as it will begin to lose some of its energy efficiency over the years. For example, the last time I replaced my fridge and oven, my monthly consumption decreased by $35 per month, so the savings can be fairly significant if you use older appliances.
