Great Green Appliances

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Plug into today's energy-efficient appliances and enjoy long-term savings.

Are your home appliances green? No, not that nauseating avocado tint that was popular back in the 1970s. The question is, are your appliances easy on the environment? All the talk about eco-friendly products in recent years makes sorting out the facts from the "greenwash" splashed around by some manufacturers a difficult task.

So, what is a green appliance? This term generally is used to describe any energy-efficient home appliance, especially one that has received an "Energy Star" rating (see "Spot the Energy Star," below). The more efficient the appliance, the less energy (and, in some cases, water) it will use. Lower energy consumption means less pollution from the generation of electricity. This is important because about 90 percent of U.S. electricity comes from nonrenewable sources, mainly fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Many home appliances made after 1993 are significantly more efficient than their predecessors, and some dramatic improvements have taken place in the past few years. This is especially true with major appliances such as refrigerators, clothes washers and dishwashers. For example, an average 1993 refrigerator was 99 percent more energy efficient than a similar unit produced in 1980, according to Jill Notini, director of communications for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. And in 2001, in response to federal regulations, that figure jumped to 146 percent.

The downside to energy-efficient appliances is they're usually more expensive. For example, a mid-priced, vertical-axis clothes washer generally costs about $500 while a more-energy-efficient horizontal-axis machine starts at about $800 and top-of-the-line models can cost $1,600.

In many cases, however, the ultimate energy savings offset the extra initial cost, especially if a rebate is available. "As a consumer, you obviously have to be aware of price, but you also need to consider the operating costs over the life of the appliance," Notini says.

WATER HEATERS

Heating water consumes about 20 percent of the total energy used in most homes. This makes it the second largest energy use after space heating (or cooling, depending on what part of the country you live in). Consequently, you can save a significant amount of energy and money if you use less hot water to begin with, and more efficiently heat what you use.

Storage water heaters with tank sizes ranging from 20 to 80 gallons still are the most popular type of residential water heater in the United States. Although there have been some advances in storage heater designs and materials, especially in insulation, the increases in energy efficiency (about 15 percent) in the past 20 years have not been as dramatic as with other appliances. Therefore, using less hot water is one of the easiest ways to decrease your water heater's energy output and lower your bills.