Investing in Energy Star

I'm lusting after a new refrigerator.  A gorgeous stainless steel one.  Our fridge came with the house - it was made in 1989 - and it's really ugly.  I've been secretly hoping it will die but aside from the broken ice maker it appears to be going strong.  And I can't really justify paying a whole bunch of money to replace it just because of esthetics.

But isn't there an energy angle I can take here?  My old fridge must be a huge energy hog, right?  I found a handy little refrigerator retirement savings calculator on the Energy Star website to help prove my point.  I discovered that my current refrigerator costs about $154/year to run.  Compare that to a new Energy Star compliant fridge which costs about $53/year to run.  That's a savings of over $500 in 5 years! 

Energy Star products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy so you can feel good about doing your part for the planet.  And you can reap savings of up to 30% or more over older household appliances.  Look for the Energy Star label when you are shopping for appliances - it's pretty common.

Check out the benefits of Energy Star qualified refrigerators:

• Use 15% less energy than current federal standards
• Use 40% less energy than conventional models from 2001
• Improved insulation
• High efficiency compressors
• More precise temperature mechanisms

I know...buying new appliances is a big investment - and it can be a hard decision to pay even more for Energy Star appliances, especially when money is tight.  But if you consider the energy savings, both from the monetary side and from the 'saving the earth' perspective, it's a really good idea.

By the way, the Energy Star website has a lot of great information for consumers.  This interactive home tour is great.  Just click on a room in the house and get tons of energy saving tips and information.  It's well done!  And I'm loving these savings calculators that compare buying a conventional appliance vs. an Energy Star one.  They take the initial price premium that you pay into account (if there is one) and then calculate your savings over time - based on your own energy costs.  So get out your latest energy bills and start plugging away.  Here are the links to savings calculators for a refrigerator, a clothes washer, a dishwasher , and a furnace.

I admit, it's still a difficult decision, because the styles I like are well north of $1000.  Maybe Santa's thinking green this year....

Comments

[Sarah Kimmel]

Woo Hoo!! A good excuse! I'm totally using this on my husband!

[Riana]

I am sceptical of the Energy stars and their motivation. I think that its a way to get us all to replace what we already have which work perfectly fine. I would love a shiny new metal fridge, but then all of our appliances will end up at the junk yard which is already so full of old refrigerators and stoves and ovens that trash this planet. Maybe you can find a hardly used "energy star" one that someone has cast aside (job relocation, fickle interior designer, etc) so that at least your output is the same as your intake?

[Mindful Momma]

Riana,
You've got a good point. It would be a shame if people got rid of perfectly good appliances without considering what happens to them afterward. But if you have a really old appliance with a poor energy rating, I think it makes sense to consider the upgrade to Energy Star. In most cases it will cost more than a conventional appliance, but the long term payoff is a good one. And I love your suggestion of buying used - Craigslist is a great place to start.

[Cranky Old Man]

When we first bought our new old house 4 years ago, it came with an old refrigerator that worked fine. While we were waiting for the contractor, my boys and I would come over and demo what we could. We kept the power on in the kitchen, and used the fridge for water, soda and beer. It did not get opened a lot. We did not work at night, and used few power tools. This thing was costing about $16 to $18 a month just idling along only being opened 3 times a day. Yes, the old’uns are not very efficient at all.