Energy-efficient appliances gain favor [XFNA]

Tag : Household Appliances
2008-8-21 02:37:00 a.m. HKT, XFNA
Energy-efficient appliances gain favor CHICAGO (AP) - Fast-rising utility bills have helped homeownersembrace something many previously acted only lukewarm about: energyefficiency.

When it comes to home appliances, consumers have learned they cando the right thing environmentally and save money at the same time.

Perhaps no household appliance offers more potential for savingsthan a washing machine. Homeowners thinking about ways to maketheir homes more energy-efficient may want to look into replacingtheir washer -- especially if it dates to before federal standardswere established in 1994.

Rob Moore of Albany, N.Y., and his wife are motivated to both savemoney and the environment as they prepare to buy a front-loadingwasher that uses much less energy than a traditional or top-loadingone.

"The environmental concerns are definitely big in our household,"said the 39-year-old Moore; he works for Environmental Advocates ofNew York and his wife Stephanie also works for an environmentalgroup. "But long-term it's also a pocketbook decision."

"I think homeowners increasingly recognize that it's in their bestinterest to have energy-efficient products," he said.

While consumers have warmed to energy efficiency only gradually,the trend is increasingly evident with household appliances.Overall U.S. sales by appliance manufacturers fell to $23.4 billionlast year and continue to slump as fewer homes are built in a tighteconomy, but energy-efficient models account for a growing share.

In a reflection of increased consumer demand as well asmanufacturers' innovations, 55 percent of the major appliancesshipped to stores and distributors in the first half of 2008carried the government's Energy Star rating for high energyefficiency -- up from just under 50 percent a year earlier,according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

Manufacturers don't break out sales of Energy Star appliancesseparately, but they total in the billions. Sales of washingmachines alone accounted for $3.6 billion in 2007, and much of thatwas in front-loading washers.

Demand for front-loaders at Abt Electronics, a major retailer inGlenview, Ill., is up about 60 percent this year, according togeneral manager Marc Cook.

"People come in and their first question is, 'Should I switch to afront-loader?'" said Cook. "They like the technology, and when yousweeten it by saying they'll be using less water and energy then itcloses the deal in their mind."

Front-loaders and advanced top-loaders typically use only one-thirdthe water of a conventional top-loader, using sophisticated washsystems to flip or spin clothes through a reduced amount of waterwhile also dramatically decreasing the amount of hot water used.

In addition, enhanced motors spin clothes two to three times fasterduring the spin cycle to extract more water, reducing moisture inclothes and resulting in less time and energy in the dryer.

What energy-conscious buyers need to know most is to look for theyellow Energy Star label, which means a product is amongapproximately the top 25 percent of all product models in energyefficiency.

Energy Star is a 16-year-old joint program of the EnvironmentalProtection Agency and the Department of Energy designed to reducegreenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. It provideslabels for qualifying products in more than 50 categories -- fromtelevisions to light bulbs to furnaces to clothes washers.

The label guarantees three things, according to program spokeswomanMaria Vargas: That the product is more energy-efficient than aconventional product -- delivering the same or better performanceusing less energy; that it's a cost-effective purchase that willpay for itself in five years or less; and that there's no sacrificein performance.

Shoppers should also check products' EnergyGuide labels required bythe Federal Trade Commission. The labels provide an estimate of theproduct's energy consumption and show comparisons with similarmodels.

An Energy Star-qualified clothes washer uses 15 to 25 gallons ofwater per load compared with 30 to 35 gallons by a standardmachine, saving more than 7,000 gallons of water a year. Combinedwith lower electricity costs, the government says the machine cansave the user $550 in operating costs over its lifetime compared toa regular clothes washer.

That can be welcome relief from increasingly burdensome householdenergy costs.

The average U.S. household will spend about $2,350 this year onenergy costs, up from $2,100 in 2007, according to the Alliance toSave Energy, an energy information clearinghouse in Washington,D.C. Roughly a quarter of that is from appliances.

Of course, the added efficiency comes at a cost. Front-loaders canrun $400 to $500 more than regular washers, with good-qualitymachines running $1,000 or more.

That's because of not only the increased energy and waterefficiency but other innovations such as remote monitoring, use ofsteam for wrinkle reduction, reduced noise and vibration and biggerwashing capacity.

"People want larger capacity but they also want energy efficiency,"said Paul Dougherty, manager of a Grand Appliance chain store inZion, Ill. "Two years ago they weren't asking about that toooften."



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