Source – Organic Vegetable Gardening, James M. Stephens, Circular 375, Florida Cooperative Extension Service

In certain categories of appliances, products that rank very highly in energy efficiency will also carry the ENERGY STAR® designation on the Energy Guide label.

ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This voluntary program was introduced in 1992 in an effort to identify and promote energy efficient products to help consumers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

ENERGY STAR®  does not provide ratings for every type of appliance. The only major appliances that can currently receive the ENERGY STAR® rating are clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators.

Trying to determine the actual cost savings of ENERGY STAR® appliances can be difficult. When considering the costs savings that are advertised for ENERGY STAR®  appliances, keep in mind that there are usually two figures that are often stated: the savings over your old appliance (which is different according to how old your current appliances are) and the savings over a new, non ENERGY STAR® rated appliance. Figures used in this article were taken from the official  ENERGY STAR®  website.

ENERGY STAR® clothes washers
The technology incorporated into ENERGY STAR® clothes washers requires less water to get the clothes clean. Since energy savings in a efficient clothes washer are primarily governed by the amount of water that needs to be heated, saving water also results in energy savings. ENERGY STAR® clothes washers are expected to save about $50.00 per year in utility costs over Non ENERGY STAR® models. However, if your present clothes washer is over 10 years old, a new ENERGY STAR® rated washer can save you as much as $135 each year.

ENERGY STAR® Dishwashers
ENERGY STAR® dishwashers include soil sensors, improved water filtration, more efficient jets and better rack design. Because they use less hot water compared to non-qualified models, an ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwasher saves about $90 over its lifetime over a Non ENERGY STAR® model. However, you will save about $40 per year over what you are spending using your current dishwasher if it was manufacturered before 1994.

ENERGY STAR® Freezers
Improvements in insulation and compressors allow modern freezers to consume much less energy than older models. Energy Star rated freezers use 10% less energy than new, non-Energy Star rated models. They will save you about $35 per year in utility bills over an old freezer purchased before 1993, and up to $70 a year over a pre 1980’s freezer.

ENERGY STAR® refrigerator
High efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms help refrigerators to earn the  ENERGY STAR® rating. Replacing a refrigerator from the 1980’s with an ENERGY STAR® model will save you about $100 a year. Replace a model from the 1970’s and you will save nearly $200 a year. But the savings on a new Energy Star rated refrigerator compared to a new non- ENERGY STAR® rated fridge is only $165 over the LIFE of the fridge.

Are these savings enough to make  the purchase of ENERGY STAR® appliances worthwhile? The answer is a definitive “yes”.

According to the ENERGY STAR® website “Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR®, saved enough energy in 2008 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 29 million cars — all while saving $19 billion on their utility bills.”
And if that isn’t enough incentive, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a new ENERGY STAR® appliance rebate program to be administered by state energy offices. Through this program, expected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010, consumers can receive rebates to purchase new ENERGY STAR® -qualified appliances when they replace their used appliances. For more information about this rebate program, visit the DOE website.