All major home appliances must meet guidelines and standards, set by the country's Department of Energy, therefore most manufacturers provide an appliance energy guide, in order to highlight the energy use and efficiency of their products. These guides provide the consumer with information regarding the appliance's features, which may include load capacity for a washer or the amount of available space inside a refrigerator or freezer, automatic defrost, etc. It is mandatory that the energy-rating label be found on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, freezers, boilers, heat pumps and pool heaters, room air conditioners, central air conditioners, water heaters and the like.



Usually energy ratings and results are printed on a label or a guide and displayed prominently on the appliances. The guide tells you how much energy the appliance uses, compares energy use of similar products, and lists approximate annual operating costs. If you take the time to read the energy guide or label you can save money when buying a new appliance and cut down on your energy consumption by using more-efficient appliances.

The guide will also depict the make, type and model of the appliance. It will also tell you how much of energy the appliance will use in the course of a year. The number is measured in KWH/Y or kilowatts hours per year. If the model you are looking at has a higher number than the appliance next to it, then it is less energy efficient than the other appliance.

One word of caution though - the ranges shown on the labels are not updated frequently, and manufacturers are always introducing more efficient appliances in the market. As a result, it could be possible to find a model that is more efficient than the most efficient end of the range. In that case, the label may note that the efficiency of this particular model was not available at the time the range was published. Information on Energy guide labels varies from appliance to appliance. The estimated cost maybe based on the average price of natural gas instead of electricity, for example. For room air conditioners, central air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces and boilers, the range is not energy consumption, but rather, the energy efficiency ratings for these products.

By learning how to read the Energy Guide label, you can increase your chances of purchasing an appliance designed to help reduce energy usage. With global warming being a major concern, the simple act of replacing your old appliance with a newer, energy efficient one, can certainly help conserve electricity, which in turn will help reduce carbon emissions. Purchasing more energy efficient appliances will save you money and keep our planet green. In this day and age of energy consciousness and conservation, the information you get in an appliance energy guide will provide you with the tools necessary to make wise decisions when looking for new appliances. You just may save yourself, and get a greener Earth!