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Greener Living Realty defines the future standard in real estate services. Toronto real estate will never be the same. We put green in your pocket.
What Is Energy Star?
When you go to the store to buy a new appliance, you may see that some appliances have Energy Star, written on them. You may be wondering what that is, so here is a quick answer about what is Energy Star is, and why you should be using it.
In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States developed a method to promote products that were energy efficient. This method was an Energy Star sticker that would affix to the appliance so everyone knew it was good for the environment.
When a product has this symbol on it, it means that it can help consumers save money, while protecting the environment at the same time. Since 1992, the scope of Energy Star has increased to include a wide variety of appliances in the home and in businesses. Many consumers only choose Energy Star appliances now as a result of the savings they provide in the long run.
It should be noted that even though an appliance has Energy Star on it, that does not mean the product is better than others performance-wise. It just means that it has a very strict energy efficiency that has been verified by the Environmental Protection Agency. As well, it is important to look at the Energy Star label to see how it was Energy Star rated. There are some energy-efficient appliances that are rated Energy Star, but qualify on the low-end of the scale. If you are going to buy an Energy Star product, you might as well buy one that is rated high so you save more money. On the ratings, the typical usage in kilowatt hours per year will be displayed. The lower the energy number, the more efficient that the appliance is going to be because it uses less energy.
Typically, all Energy Star appliances will use about 10 to 20 percent less energy than products that are not energy efficient. This may not seem like much, but look at it this way. If your energy bill is $90 per month, then 20 percent is going to be about $18 in savings. Now, multiply that by 12 months and you get $216. Multiply that by the 10 to 15 year life of the appliance and you get savings of $2,160 to $3,240. That usually accounts to more than what you paid for the appliances in the first place, combined.