Saving Money With Energy Efficient Appliances

 by Wendy Brandt Martinenas 

Energy efficient appliances often cost more, but are they worth it?  Well, the direct economic savings achieved by efficient appliances are a function of several things: 1.  how much the appliance will be used   2.  the performance level of the equipment being replaced  and 3.  local costs for utilities.  When you replace older equipment, it is not uncommon for electricity consumption for that appliance to decrease by 50% or more.

In general, if the appliance being replaced is more than 15 years old, and it is replaced with a state-of-the-art unit, you may expect utility savings of 20%-60% compared with the energy required by the previous appliance.  For example, horizontal-axis washing machines typically save consumers 50% in both electric and water utilities. Additional savings come from reduced quantities of detergent.  So, when you are looking at purchasing a new appliance evaluate all of these factors in addition to purchase price.   The energy efficient model may appear more expensive when just comparing sticker price but over time it will cost you less.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com   William Raveis Real Estate