If you’ve gone shopping for an appliance any time in, say, the last 25 years, then you’re familiar with a little label that probably showed up on a decent number of the appliances. That little blue label means quite a lot, and it isn’t because the appliance has been endorsed by a specific company or anything like that.
But what does the Energy Star label mean exactly, and how can it help you? The energy-efficiency experts at Acree Plumbing & Air can help you become an Energy Star expert, and hopefully by the end of this explainer you’ll be well-versed in the ways that small blue label can benefit you and your family.
What Is It?
In 1992, the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the Energy Star program to help create a way for homeowners and regular appliance consumers to cut back on the amount of energy they use. This Energy Star designation is a voluntary way to label which appliances meet strict criteria and guidelines in order to be more energy-efficient.
Since its inception, the Energy Star program has saved American consumers more than a staggering $420 billion in energy expenses, and it continues to prove its worth today.
How Does Something Earn an Energy Star Label?
Although it may seem like every appliance you come across has the blue label affixed to it, the product you’re looking at had to pass a strict set of requirements to earn it. What exactly does something have to meet to become Energy-Star-certified?
- Must significantly contribute to energy savings across the nation
- It has to deliver the demands that consumers have as well as being energy-efficient
- Its energy consumption/performance is objectively measurable and verifiable through testing
- Helps distinguish products for consumers
- Energy-efficiency is achievable through widely available means, not proprietary
- If it’s an expensive appliance, customers’ energy savings makes up the difference in price
Once something meets all those guidelines, it earns the right to have the Energy Star label on it.
What Appliances Can Be Energy Star Certified?
Even though you might notice the label on things like washing machines and dishwashers the most, plenty of other things receive Energy Star labels as well. Everything from computers to heat pumps to freezers to solar water heaters can be given Energy Star certification, provided it meets the above criteria that we mentioned.
How Does it Help?
As you add appliances that have met the requirements for the Energy Star label to your home, you’ll begin to notice a drop in the amount of energy you use – meaning a drop in the money you pay each month as well!
According to the Energy Star program’s own statistics, if everyone in America bought exclusively Energy Star-certified appliances for a year, we’d achieve a collective savings of more than $580 million and more than 20 billion gallons of water!
To find out how we can help you and your home take a small but noticeable step toward more energy efficiency, give Acree Plumbing & Air a call at (813) 530-9061!
