Energy-Efficient Appliances

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Here's a roundup of some of the hottest energy-efficient appliances on the market.

Clothes washers. European appliance-maker Asko [ www.askousa.com ; (800) 367-2444 ] likes to refer to its products as "Swedish supermodels." The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy agrees: Asko's models took second and third place in ACEEE's rankings of 2001 model clothes washers. ACEEE ranked the washer using a formula that combines tub capacity with energy use. A Kenmore model took the No. 1 position, with models from Maytag and General Electric also scoring high.

Tankless water heaters. Heating water can use an inordinate amount of energy, especially since much of that energy is used to store hot water that may not be used for hours. Tankless, or "on demand," water heaters save energy by heating water only when it's needed. Microtherm Incorporated [ www.seisco.com ; (281) 876-3322] says its Seisco system costs just $11 a year on standby heat, compared to $80 to $100 for a conventional gas water heater. Other manufacturers include Takagi Industries [ (888) 882-5244], Envirotech™ Systems [ www.tankless.com ; (800) 251-6612], and S.E.T.S. [ www.tankless-water-heater.com ; (954) 929-3141].

Window shades. Manufacturers are increasingly developing energyonservation products or remarketing old products with efficiency pitches. A main issue is heat transfer by way of sunlight streaming through windows. Blackout products, such as Roc-lon's magnetic drapery liners [ (888) 880-7533] are usually mentioned as sleep aids, but they also block out heat during summer months. If you want to reduce your airconditioning bills but still want to light rooms naturally during the day, cellular shades might be the answer. Cellular Window Shades.com [ www. cellularwindowshades.com ; (877) 966-3678], a small Vermont company, manufacturers shades with a honeycomb structure, that lets in light while blocking out ultraviolet radiation. Cellular's Symphony™ shades are more than twice as effective at blocking heat than blinds or shades.