Shopping for new appliances can be a little overwhelming — especially if you have little or no prior knowledge and haven’t had time to do research. While you can always ask a home comfort specialist to clarify terms and explain product differences, it’s important to learn how to compare different options yourself. Of course, one of the most important aspects of any new household appliance is its energy efficiency, and trying to determine which product has the best rating without any assistance can seem nearly impossible. Luckily, the EnergyGuide label can tell you everything you need to know about an appliance’s efficiency rating before you spend a single dime.
This bright yellow label, developed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to assist consumers in making smarter choices to reduce household energy usage, is chock full of helpful information. Firstly, on the upper left-hand side, you’ll see a list of the appliance’s key features, and on the top right you’ll see the make, model, size and other helpful specifications. Below this information is the estimated yearly operating cost and estimated yearly electricity use. While these amounts are merely estimates, they give consumers a good idea of what they might expect to pay in order to run the appliance for a year.
Of course, all sorts of other factors can affect the energy usage and cost of running an appliance — such as the size of your household, the region in which you live and the frequency with which the appliance is used. So while the figure shown on the EnergyGuide label may not be the same number you see on your own utility bill, it’s a good estimate for comparison purposes. By using the EnergyGuide label correctly, you can easily compare appliances and choose the most efficient product for your needs. Furthering this goal, if the appliance has the highly desirable Energy Star certification, that also will appear on the yellow label, down in the bottom right corner.
If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the EnergyGuide label and home energy efficiency, please contact us at Ernst Heating & Cooling. We’ve been serving the Metro-East area since 1951.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamel, Illinois and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).