Energy Efficient Appliances and Light Bulbs

When you buy an appliance, you commit to paying both the initial cost and the operating cost for as long as you own it. Appliances with the energy star logo are significantly more energy-efficient than the average comparable model, but may cost considerably more initially. The Energy Star program is operated jointly by the U.S.Department of Energy and the EPA. A few of the appliances that can be energy star certified are refridgerators, stoves, dish washers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, air conditioners, water heaters, computers and office equipment. Besides buying energy efficient appliances, it is important to unplug these appliances when not in use. Saving energy saves money: Households can save up to $400 a year on utility bills!

Light bulbs can also be energy efficient. If every American home replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR light, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, about $700 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars. An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. These too, cost a little more than regular light bulbs, but save the customer much more money in the end. The energy efficient light bulbs are hazardous if broken, so the user should look up what to do if this should happen.