Department of Energy
Energy Savers PowerPoint:
Appliances
8 of 12
This 12 part PowerPoint
series is taken directly from
Energy Savers Booklet, Tips
on Saving Energy & Money
at Home, U.S. Department
of Energy
Contents
1. Save Energy and Money Today
2. Your Home’s Energy Use
3. Insulation and Sealing Air Leaks
4. Heating and Cooling
5. Water Heating
6. Windows
7. Lighting
8. Appliances
9. Home Office and Home Electronics
10. Driving and Car Maintenance
11. Renewable Energy
12. References
Appliances
• This presentation will show
you how easy it is to reduce
your energy use at home.
• Easy, practical solutions
include tips you can use,
throughout your home—
from the roof, walls, and
insulation that enclose it to
the appliances and lights
inside.
What You Can Do
Reduce energy demand
Cut amount of resources needed
Create less greenhouse gas emissions
Reduce utility bills
U.S. Household Energy Use for Appliances
Appliances
17%
Computers &
Electronics
9%
Lighting
11%
Other
8%
Space Heating
31%
Space Cooling
12%
Water Heating
12%
What’s the Real Cost?
Shopping for Appliances
Shopping for Appliances
Appliance
Lifetime (years)
Refrigerator
14
Clothes washer
11
Dishwasher
10
Room air conditioner
9
ENERGY STAR® Label
ENERGY STAR® products
• Exceed minimum
federal standards
EnergyGuide Label
• Label will not tell you
which appliance is most
efficient
• Label will tell you the
annual energy
consumption and
operating cost
• www.aceee.org
How to Read the EnergyGuide Label
• Estimated yearly
operating cost based
on the
of
electricity
• Estimated energy
consumption (kWh)
What’s a Kilowatt?
If you cook a pot of rice for 1 hour, you use 1,000 watthours of electricity
1,000 watt-hours = 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh)
How Much Electricity Do Appliances Use?
Dishwashers
Energy used is mainly for water heating
Dishwasher Tips
Long-Term Savings Tip
When shopping for a new dishwasher, look for
the ENERGY STAR label to find a dishwasher
that uses less water and 41% less energy than
required by federal standards.
Refrigerators
A new refrigerator with an
ENERGY STAR label uses
at least 20% less energy
than required by
current federal
standards and 40% less
energy than the
conventional models
sold in 2001.
Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips
Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips
Refrigerator: 37°F to 40°F
Freezer: 0°F to 5°F
Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips
Check freezer and
refrigerator temperature
with an appliance
thermometer
Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips
Regularly defrost
manual-defrost
refrigerators and
freezers
Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips
•Have tight door seals
•Place a dollar bill in
the door; you should
be able to pull the
bill out easily
Refrigerator/Freezer Energy Tips
Uncovered foods release moisture and
make the compressor work harder
Long-Term Savings Tip
Other Energy-Saving Kitchen Tips
8 easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy in the kitchen
Kitchen Tips
Use cold water when using
small amounts of water
Kitchen Tips
• If you need to purchase a
natural gas oven or range, look
for one with an automatic,
electric ignition system. An
electric ignition saves natural
gas because a pilot light is not
burning continuously.
Kitchen Tips
Gas appliances
• Look for blue flames;
yellow flames indicate
that the gas is burning
inefficiently
Kitchen Tips
Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean
• Better heat reflection
• Saves energy
Kitchen Tips
• Use a covered kettle to
boil water
• Match the size of the pan
to the heating element
Kitchen Tips
•Use small appliances when possible
•Use pressure cookers and microwave ovens when convenient
Laundry
90% of the energy used for
washing clothes in a topload washer is for
• Ways to reduce the
amount of energy used for
washing clothes
1. Use less water
2. Use cooler water
Laundry Tips
• Wash in cold water using
cold-water detergents
whenever possible
• Wash and dry full loads
Laundry Tips
Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load
from lighter-weight clothes
Laundry Tips
• Use moisture
sensors, if
possible
• Clean the lint
filter after
every load
Laundry Tips
• Periodically inspect your
dryer vent to save energy
and prevent fires
– Use rigid venting material
• Use cool-down dryer
cycle to use residual heat
Laundry Tips
Consider air-drying
Long-Term Savings Tips
ENERGY STAR clothes washers
 Clean clothes using 50% less
energy than standard
washers
 Use 15 gallons of water per
load, compared to the 32.5
gallons used by a new
standard machine
 Spin the clothes better
Long-Term Savings Tips
 Look for a moisture
sensor when
shopping for a new
clothes dryer
– Automatically shuts
off the machine when
your clothes are dry
 Clothes dryers do not
have ENERGY STAR
labels
– Most use similar
amounts of energy
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Natural Gas and Oil
Systems
Look for the FTC
EnergyGuide label
with an AFUE (Annual
Fuel Utilization
Efficiency) rating for
natural gas- and oilfired furnaces and
boilers. The AFUE
measures the
seasonal or annual
efficiency. ENERGY
STAR furnaces have a
90 AFUE or higher.
Special
Considerations
Bigger is not always
better! Too large a
system costs more
and operates
inefficiently. Have a
professional assess
your needs and
recommend the type
and size of system you
should purchase.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Air-Source Heat
Pumps
Look for the EnergyGuide
label that lists the SEER
(Seasonal Energy Efficiency
Ratio) and HSPF (Heating
Seasonal Performance
Factor) for heat pumps. The
SEER measures the energy
efficiency during the cooling
season and HSPF measures
the efficiency during the
heating season. The ENERGY
STAR minimum efficiency
level is 13 SEER or higher.
If you live in a cool
climate, look for a heat
pump with a high
HSPF. ENERGY STAR
heat pumps are about
20% more efficient
than standard models.
Contact a professional
for advice on
purchasing a heat
pump.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Central Air
Conditioners
Look for the EnergyGuide
label with a SEER for central
air conditioners. The
ENERGY STAR minimum
efficiency level is 13 SEER.
Air conditioners that
bear the ENERGY STAR
label may be 25% more
efficient than standard
models. Contact a
professional for advice
on sizing a central air
system.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Room Air
Conditioners
Look for the
What size to buy?
EnergyGuide label
Area (sq ft)
Btu/hour
with an EER (Energy
Efficiency Ratio) for
100 to 150
5,000
room air
150 to 250
6,000
conditioners. The
250 to 350
7,000
higher the EER, the
350 to 450
9,000
more efficient the
400 to 450
10,000
unit is. ENERGY STAR
450 to 550
12,000
units are among the
550 to 700
14,000
most energy700 to 1,000
18,000
efficient products.
Two major factors
should guide your
purchase: correct
size and energy
efficiency. If the
room is very sunny,
increase capacity by
10%. If the unit is for
a kitchen, increase
the capacity by
4,000 Btu per hour.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Programmable
Thermostats
For minimum ENERGY
STAR efficiency,
thermostats should have
at least two programs,
four temperature settings
each, a hold feature that
allows users to
temporarily override
settings, and the ability to
maintain room
temperature within 2°F of
desired temperature.
Look for a the ENERGY
STAR label and a
thermostat that allows
you to easily use two
separate programs, one
that can be programmed
to reach the desired
temperature at a specific
time, and a hold feature
that temporarily overrides
the setting without
deleting the preset
programs.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Water Heaters
Look for the EnergyGuide
label that tells how much
energy the water heater
uses in one year. Also,
look for the FHR (first
hour rating) of the water
heater, which measures
the maximum hot water
the heater will deliver in
the first hour of use.
If you typically need a
lot of hot water at
once, the FHR will be
important to you. Sizing
is important—call your
local utility for advice.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Windows
Look for the NFRC
(National Fenestration
Rating Council) label that
provides U-values and
SHGC (solar heat gain
coefficient) values. The
lower the U-value, the
better the insulation.
Look at the Climate
Region Map on the
ENERGY STAR label to be
sure that the window,
door, or skylight you have
selected is appropriate
for where you live.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Refrigerators and Freezers
Look for the EnergyGuide
label that tells how much
electricity, in kWh, the
refrigerator will use in one
year. The smaller the
number, the less energy it
uses. ENERGY STAR
refrigerators use at least
20% less energy than
required by federal
standards.
Look for energy-efficient
refrigerators and freezers.
Refrigerators with freezers
on top are more efficient
than those with freezers
on the side. Also look for
heavy door hinges that
create a good door seal.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Dishwashers
Look for the
EnergyGuide label that
tells how much
electricity, in kWh, the
dishwasher will use in
one year. The smaller the
number, the less energy
it uses. ENERGY STAR
dishwashers use at least
41% less energy than
required by federal
standards.
Look for features that
will reduce water use,
such as booster heaters
and smart controls. Ask
how many gallons of
water the dishwasher
uses during different
cycles. Dishwashers that
use the least amount of
water will cost the least
to operate.
Major Appliance Shopping Guide
Appliance
Rating
Special Considerations
Clothes Washers
Look for the EnergyGuide
label that tells how much
electricity, in kWh, the
clothes washer will use in
one year. The smaller the
number, the less energy it
uses. ENERGY STAR clothes
washers use less than 50%
of the energy used by
standard washers.
Look for the following
design features that help
clothes washers cut water
usage: water level
controls, “suds-saver”
features, spin cycle
adjustments, and large
capacity. For double the
efficiency, buy an ENERGY
STAR unit.
Summary