Issues > July/August 2004 (#103) > Ease Up on Fossil Fuels with Green Refrigerators, Air Conditioners and Power

Ease Up on Fossil Fuels with Green Refrigerators, Air Conditioners and Power

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says that every appliance has two price tags: a purchasing price and an operating cost. That's not counting the environmental and health costs of burning coal and other fossil fuels in power plants, which causes emissions of nerve-damaging mercury and carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. The average American household produces 9,900 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, which means that the energy we use in our homes is responsible for more greenhouse emissions than driving our cars.

Energy-efficient appliances can save you money on utility bills—up to 8 percent, or $35-$70 a year, with an ENERGY STAR refrigerator alone—while causing fewer emissions from power plants. ENERGY STAR products meet strict energy-efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOE. "I would recommend having an ENERGY STAR rating be a prerequisite for any selection of a new refrigerator or any major appliance," says Alex Wilson, author of "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings," published by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He also points out that there are plenty of ENERGY STAR models that are highly rated by Consumer Reports. It also pays to read the yellow Energy Guide labels that appear on most major appliances. These tell you the annual energy consumption and operating costs for each appliance.

Room air conditioners and refrigerators are two of the largest energy consumers in your house. Below are some tips for buying appliances to cool down this summer while being kinder to the environment and your budget. All those listed carry the ENERGY STAR label.

Air Conditioners

Air conditioning alone accounts for 16.4 percent of a home's utility bill, approximately $220 annually, according to the DOE. Energy efficiency for room air conditioners has improved dramatically; on average, if you replace a 10-year-old model with an ENERGY STAR rated one, you'll save about $14 a year. The yellow Energy Guide label will tell you how much it costs to run the a.c. and it will also give you the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): The higher this number, the greater the savings.

Remember, with room air conditioners, bigger is not necessarily better: It is essential to select an air conditioner with a cooling capacity, measured in British thermal units per hour (BTUs/hr), that matches the size of your room.

1. Whirlpool, ACQ058PP, 5,500 BTUs (150-sq.-ft. room), 10.7 EER. Suggested Retail Price, $129, whirlpool.com.

2. Friedrich Quietmaster Electronic, SS08J10R, 8,200 BTUs (300-350 sq. ft.),

11 EER. Suggested Retail Price, $729, friedrich.com.

3. Kenmore (Sears), 76129, 12,300 BTUs (600-700 sq. ft.), 10.8 EER. Price, $369.99, sears.com.

Refrigerators

Refrigerators are notorious power drainers. A new refrigerator with an ENERGY STAR label will save between $35 and $70 a year, compared with models of 15 years ago. The average life of a refrigerator is 15 years, so the total savings add up to between $525 and $1,050. ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators also use at least 15 percent less energy than conventional models produced today. The Energy Guide label will tell you how much electricity in kilowatt hours (kWh) a fridge uses in one year: The smaller this number, the less energy it uses.

Top-freezer models are the most energy efficient and repair-free. Side-by-side models eat up more energy, as do features such as automatic icemakers and cold-water dispensers, which will increase energy consumption by about 10-20 percent, according to the ACEEE.

1. GE Profile Arctica, PTS22LCPWW, Top-Freezer. Price, $1,079, Annual Energy Cost, $39, ge.com.

2. Kenmore (Sears), Elite Trio 7350(2), Bottom Freezer. Price, $1,799. Annual Energy Cost $44, kenmore.com.

3. Whirlpool, ED5FHEXM, Side-By-Side. Price, $1,099. Annual Energy Cost, $51, whirlpool.com.

Energy Audits

It pays to study your home to determine where energy leakages are and which appliances are wasting energy. "I think energy audits are one of the easiest ways to save the most money," says Alex Wilson. With the audit, you might also be able to get a mortgage for an energy-efficient renovation. Call your local utility to see if they offer free audit services or if they can refer you to someone else. Ask your auditor to bring a meter that measures actual energy use from appliances. Or do it yourself (see Resources, below).

A Note on Green Power

More than 500 utilities in 33 states now offer consumers the option on their utility bills to select green power, derived from renewable sources rather than from burning fossil fuels.

When you buy green power, you are paying your utility to either produce or purchase a certain amount of renewable energy—from the sun, wind, plants, water and other natural sources—to supply your demand. You can buy green power directly from your local utility if they offer it; if not, you might be able to switch to one that does. In most cases, choosing green will cost you somewhere around $17 a month in added costs, depending on where you live and what type of renewable is used.

So far, only about 1 percent of eligible customers are participating in green energy plans. "The long-term hope is that, through market demand and the additional development of technologies over time, the cost will come down," says Blair Swezey, principal policy adviser at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "There is a real awareness hurdle," Swezey says. Once they learn about green power, however, more and more people may be willing to take some of the money they save through energy conservation and invest it in a clean-fuel future.

Resources

Appliances: See The Green Guide's Product Reports on refrigerators and room air conditioners; also see ratings at www.consumerreports.org and www.energystar.gov, 888-STAR-YES.

Energy Audits: If you want to try your own audit, see Alliance to Save Energy's www.ase.org/checkup/home. For energy-efficient mortgages, see "Make Your House Pay" (GG #91).

Green Power: See The Green Guide's green power product report.

Locate green power sources at the Green Power Network, www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower.

Green-e Renewable Electricity Certification Program, www.green-e.org.

For more info, see www.aceee.org, or call 202-429-8873; Rocky Mountain Institute, www.rmi.org, 970-927-3851.