Energy Efficient Home Electronics & Appliances

"They Just Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To...."

An 'old-school' refrigerator may look attractive, but keeping this beast on your energy payroll may be costing you much more than you realize.

When it comes to utilities, electronics, and appliances, that's a relief!

It's easy to admire the retro style and reliability of an old refrigerator, but you do yourself (and the environment) few favors when you keep that old clunker running in your kitchen.

Of all the appliances in your home, refrigerators are the biggest energy hogs of them all. And if that model was made before 1990, you can count on it to use twice the electricity of a new ENERGY STAR® qualified model.

Dollar for dollar, your old fridge is costing you over $100/year, compared to $50/year for a more efficient model. That is a significant point to bear in mind when measuring out your priorities for home energy conservation.

One Appliance, Two Prices

Your appliances have two distinct prices: the immediate cost to purchase the appliance, and the cost to own and maintain it. If you're still running an old appliance simply because it still works, you may be sinking so much extra into its operation cost that you'd be just as well off with a new machine.

Dr. Energy Saver Missoula says…

Home electronics and appliances use up at least 20% of your home's total energy bill. This percentage varies, however, based on the size of your family and your lifestyle.

If you wash a lot of laundry, operate multiple TVs or computers, have an extra refrigerator running, or use a separate freezer, these will all help to push the power use above 20% of your total usage. Energy Star® rated appliances can help reduce your home energy use and save a lot of money.

Is it Really Off or Just Sleeping?

Cut down on "phantom loads" by plugging connected devices, such as a printer and computer, into a "Smart Strip". When the main device shuts off, so will the others.

Have you ever heard the term "phantom loads"? This is the case when you turn off electrical equipment such as printers, computers, television monitors, or other devices. Instead of being off, they're actually in "sleep" or "standby" mode.

The power may seem "off", but it's really not. Combined, these phantom electrical loads are able to account for a staggering 5% of your electrical bill. Some of these phantom loads, such as the digital clock on your kitchen range, aren't worth flipping off. Many others, however, are.

Cut down on phantom loads by plugging devices such as the computer, printer, or phone recharger into a single power strip. Turn everything off by flipping off a single strip.

Dr. Energy Saver Missoula can also help by providing you with "Smart Strips". Specially designed to turn off automatically when a single "main" device is shut down, they can save you a great deal of money. For example, you can set them so when your DVD player is shut down, your surround sound and television also flip off.

Related Pages:

• Energy Efficient Lighting
• Home Energy Conservation
• Weatherization