Print Article for : Energy Efficient Home Appliances

Your Online Guide » Quality Home Improvement » Where To Buy Home Appliances

[E239]Energy Efficient Home Appliances

by Daniel Smith, Dan

With too many brands powered with each one's aggressive marketing strategies conquering the market, the hapless consumer is terribly confused in his selection of a new energy efficient home appliance. If you are more concerned about your hard earned money, then the choice becomes a difficult task indeed. Ultimately, quite often, you end up buying the cheapest item available in the market.

The cost of owning a home appliance has three basic components viz, the initial purchase price, the cost of repairs and maintenance and the cost involved in operating it. To determine how much one will spend over the lifetime of the home appliance, one has to necessarily take cognizance of all these costs. The appliance with the lowest initial purchase price, or even the one with the best repair record, need not necessarily be the one that costs the least to operate.

The more energy efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run, and the lower your utility bills. Using less energy is good for the environment too and you can reduce air pollution and help conserve natural resources. Even if two models look the same from the outside, less-obvious inside features can mean a big difference in your monthly utility bills. Most of the differences are on the inside - in the motors, compressors, pumps, valves, gaskets and seals, or in electronic sensors that make appliances "smarter."

Tips for shopping

1. Know where to shop.

Appliance outlets, electronics stores and local retailers stock different brands and models of home appliances. Dealers also sell appliances through print catalogs and the Internet. Do a little bit of market research first before resorting to real shopping.

2. Select the size and style.

Take the measurement of the appliance to make sure that your new purchase will fit into the available space with you. Make sure that you have enough room to open the door or lid fully and enough clearance for ventilation. This will help you in narrowing down your choices as you settle on the best capacity and style.

3. Compare the performance of different brands and models.

Glance through the manufacturer's product literature. Decide which features are important to you. Do not hesitate to ask questions about how the different models operate, their repair history, safety features, extent of energy consumption etc. Manufacturers are expected to use standard test procedures to prove the energy use and efficiency of their products.

4. Estimate how much the appliance will cost to operate.

The more energy an appliance uses, the more it will cost to run. The difference on your monthly utility bill can be significant, especially when the life of the appliance runs over 10 years. Even if the purchase price is higher, you could save money over the long run by choosing a model that's more energy efficient.

5. Ask about special energy efficiency offers.

Enquire with the salesperson about the availability of cash rebates, low-interest loans or other incentive programs for energy-efficient product purchases and explore the possibility of qualifying for such incentives.

If you have the space for a large freezer, you can save yourself a lot of time in the kitchen. There are websites that can tell you how to cook once a month and have homemade dinners every night. Another growing trend are assembly line type kitchens, where customers can come and assemble meals for their family to put in the freezer using prechopped and measured ingredients. By setting aside one day a month to assemble meals, you can avoid that what's for dinner question everyday and avoid the fast food drive thru more often as well. If you are in the market for a freezer, here are some things to keep in mind.

First look at the space that you have intended for a freezer. The amount of floor space and height clearance that you have will determine whether a chest freezer or upright freezer is best for you. After you have figured that out, look at whether the freezer is self defrosting or manually defrosting. Having to manually defrost a freezer periodically can be a big downside, especially if you plan on keeping the freezer loaded with food. That said, manually defrosting freezers are usually less expensive than self defrosting freezers so if you're on a tight budget, the manually defrosting might be a better way to go. If you are trying to cook once a month, just make sure you do your defrosting toward the end of a month when you are running lower on food in the freezer.

Chest freezers are usually more energy efficient than upright freezers and while most have to be manually defrosted, they often have a drain at the bottom that makes cleaning up from defrosting easier. Some people complain that it is harder to see what you have in a chest freezer since things get stacked deeply, but some have wire baskets so that you can hang some items higher and organize your frozen items, avoiding large piles. If you have large items to freeze, chest freezers are often a more effective choice.

Another thing to keep in mind is size in terms of how much you plan to put in the freezer. Studies have shown that freezers run more efficiently when they are relatively full, so if you buy a freezer that is much larger than what you will fill, you will waste energy and the freezer will take up that much more space in your house.

Article Source : Where To Buy Home Appliances

About Author

Both Daniel Smith & Cathy Peterson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Daniel Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Vitamin B12 Folic Acid and Family Concerns. Daniel Smith writes about and Household Appliances.. Daniel Smith's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.

Cathy Peterson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Recreation and Sports, Home Management and Travel and Leisure. Cathy Peterson writes about ,. Cathy Peterson's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.