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Shopping for Energy Efficient Appliances

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Here’s a great line I just read at bhrealestate.com

Every appliance has two prices: the sticker price, and the one you pay to run the appliance year-round.

When purchasing a new appliance, buyers might be tempted to buy the unit with the lowest sale price while ignoring the long term costs of running it.

Choosing a highly energy efficient appliance can save more money than the additional purchase difference and if used long enough, add to your savings. According to Energy Star, the organization the certifies the efficiency of appliances, in 2007, Americans bought enough ENERGY STAR appliances to limit emissions equivalent to green house gases from 27 million cars — all the while saving $16 billion on their utility bills, or roughly one-third their annual utility cost.

Look for machines that have earned the ENERGY STAR label, meaning they have met strict energy-efficiency guidelines. It’s also important to check the bright yellow EnergyGuide labels on appliances to see consumption rates for that model expressed in annual kilowatt hours and the approximate annual cost of running the appliance.

The article also offered some helpful shopping tips:

Refrigerators – Next to your furnace and water heater, your refrigerator uses the most energy in your home, so make sure a new fridge suits your needs. If it’s too large, you’ll waste energy cooling phantom food; too small may simply be inconvenient. Models with freezers on the top or bottom are more efficient than those with freezers on the side.

Stoves – Cooking habits should determine which is best for you. While the design and price of today’s gas and electric stoves are similar, gas stoves require less energy for stovetop cooking. If you do a lot of baking or oven use, however, the electric stove is a better option.

Clothes Washers – According to the EPA, Horizontal-axis washers (front loaders) use 50 percent less energy, less water and less soap. This translates into savings on average of about $95 a year for the average household

Clothes Dryers – ENERGY STAR does not label dryers since most consume the same amount of energy. Do, however, try to buy one with a moisture sensor that will automatically shut off the dryer when your clothes are dry, rather than completing the cycle.

Air Conditioners – Ensure correct size for your room and go for energy efficiency. If it’s cooling a sunny room, consider increasing capacity by 10 percent.

Natural gas and oil systems – Look for the Federal Trade Commission EnergyGuide label with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. This measures the seasonal annual efficiency (ENERGY STAR furnaces have a 90 AFUE rating or above).

The added initial cost of energy efficient appliances may seem high, but the savings show up over time and they are gentler on the environment.

GE Laundry Giveaway-Plus Spa Day Sweepstake

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GE is offering a Grand Prize in their Steam Dream Giveaway of a Profile laundry pair plus a day at the spa of your choice. You can enter at geappliances.com until the contest ends on May 24, 2009. Two first place prizes of a profile dishwasher and six $250 gift cards for second place will also be awarded.

Save When Buying New Appliances

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When buying a new appliance, the Boy Scout’s motto “Be Prepared” is good advice. Before heading to the local appliance store, check out these tips that could help you save some money:

First, know just how much appliance you need. Appliance stores will often put the top of the line models out on the floor to entice the buyer. You might not need all those bells and whistles. Ask to see the basic models and then search for ones with the additional features you will use.

Remember to compare the energy use of various models. You’ll find that on the bright yellow label affixed to the front or top of the appliance.

Be aware of installation requirements and costs. If your house cannot acomadate the appliance you choose, and changes are necessary, that will cost you. So will exchanging it for one that fits – stores often charge restocking fees.

Look for deals:
Some tips from abc2news.com:
Do they offer package deals if you buy more than one appliance?
Can you get free delivery?
Do they sell floor models or scratch-and-dent models?
Do they honor price adjustments if the appliance goes on sale within 30 days, or do they know whether it will be on sale soon?
Is there a rebate or any type of promotion, such as a gift card or product incentive, if you buy the appliance?
Do they price match?
Do they accept trade-ins or at least haul your old appliance?
What is the manufacturer’s warranty? Say no to extended warranties. According to Consumer Reports, extended warranties aren’t worth buying because the appliance doesn’t typically break within the warranty time, costs less to repair, or the problem isn’t covered by warranty.
Where is a repair/service center located? Is it near you?

Be certain your appliance cannot be repaired. Other options include buying a reconditioned or used appliance. If you are buying new or upgrading, be aware that white goods (appliances) go on sale in October and January when store have new models arriving.

Get something back. You might be able to sell you old appliance or donate it to charity for a tax deduction. Your local utility office might be offering a rebate program for particular energy saving appliances. A last stop for an old, broken appliance might be the scrap yard. Copper wiring is being recycled along with other metals.
A little extra time invested in knowing your appliance needs and then being assertive in getting them can save you quite a few bucks over time.

Recall:GE Ranges Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

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Name of Product: GE Profile™ Freestanding Dual Fuel Ranges

Units: About 28,000

Manufacturer: GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: The wiring in the rear of the range can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE is aware of 47 reports of overheated wiring, including 33 reports of wiring that caught fire. Of these, one fire caused structural damage to the home and there have been 14 reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves GE Profile 30” Freestanding Duel Fuel ranges. The ranges were sold in white, black, bisque and stainless steel. The following model and serial numbers can be found on the left inside corner of the bottom drawer.

Brand Model Number Begins With: Serial Number Begins With:
GE Profile J2B900 LD, MD, RD, SD, TD, VD, ZD, AF, DF, FF, GF, HF, LF, MF
GE Profile J2B915 MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG

Sold at: Department and appliance stores nationwide from June 2002 through December 2005 for between $1,300 and $2,000.

Manufactured in: Mexico

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the oven and contact GE for a free repair. Consumers can continue to use the cooktop burners.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact GE toll-free at (888) 352-9764 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday ET, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.geappliances.com


Comsumer Rebate Program for Appliances

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The US stimulus bill recently signed into law by US President Barack Obama includes a $300 million provision to fund the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.

This program will be administered through the 50 US states and will  provide financial incentive to encourage consumer spending and target it to energy savings through consumer rebates for the purchase of Energy Star appliances.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) urge the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to quickly disburse funding to state energy offices for the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Programs so that consumer rebates will be available for the summer months to purchase ENERGY STAR appliances.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009  will stimulate demand for home appliances, provide consumers with tremendous savings on the initial purchase cost and long-term utility costs of appliances, and will also provide an important environmental benefit by way of a significant decrease in energy consumption.
“Once the states receive funding from DOE for their rebate programs, consumers can begin to benefit
from an immediate savings on the purchase cost of an ENERGY STAR appliance and on utility bills,” said
Joseph McGuire, AHAM President. “AHAM urges the Department of Energy to quickly provide this
stimulus funding to the states so they can get the money into the hands of consumers.”
In a joint letter, AHAM and RILA requested that DOE distribute the funds to state energy offices quickly
and simply and allow existing and new state programs the flexibility to establish programs that meet
regional needs. The associations provided DOE with broad guidelines for releasing the stimulus funds.
AHAM and RILA also believe the benefit should include consumers with non-working appliances and
consumers who are upgrading to energy efficient products before their current appliances cease to
function.

GE $2500 Sweepstakes

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This is just like winning a new appliance in retroactively. All you need to do is register your GE appliance, and you will be automatically entered in a monthly drawing for $2500 from GE. The contest lasts until October 2009 and winners will be awarded a check for the full amount. You can enter the appliances you already own, no new purchases required. Just use the GE online registration or follow the instructions on their website.

Should You Fix the Old Appliance or Buy a New One?

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It’s a common question – when your appliance needs repairs is better to fix it or start looking for a new one?  Often fixing the broken appliance can take days or even weeks if the parts are not available.  A new one can often be purchased and installed within hours.  But is buying a new appliance the right choice?

“We surveyed 13-thousand of our subscribers, covering more than 20-thousand broken products, and plenty of them had complaints about the repairs they got,” said Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman from Consumer Reports.

The biggest problems were with electric cooktops and wall ovens.

“The parts were very difficult to find and the repairs often took two weeks or more to get done,” said Kupersmid-Lehrman.

When it comes to dryers, washers, and other larger appliances, the survey showed people have much better luck using an independent shop once the warranty is up, rather than a factory-authorized service center.

But Consumer Reports says sometimes an appliance just isn’t worth fixing.

“You should replace it if the repair is going to cost more than half the price of a new model.” said Kupersmid-Lehrman.

Additionally, Consumer Reports says that it is not necessary to buy an extended warranty, as the cost for repairs, if needed will likely be about the same as the cost of the warranty.

 

Win a New Electrolux Range or Wall Oven

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Kelly Ripa, spokeswoman for Electrolux, is searching for the perfect turkey.  To that end, Electrolux is holding a Perfect Turkey contest.  Just submit your entry here detailing your turkey success story, or possibly better, your tail of woe.  The winner will receive a new Electrolux wall oven or range with the “Perfect Turkey” button – just in time for the holidays.

Beautiful Choice for Range Hoods

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If you are planning a kitchen remodel and want a range hood that is a true focal point of your kitchen, Metellao Arts may have what you’re looking for.

They make classic hand-painted metal range hoods that  are “designed to look stunning in every setting from traditional to contemporary. ” Instead of a standard custom copper, brass, or wood range hood that would take months to build, they offer handcrafted metal hoods that ship within six weeks and cost around the same as a high-end production model range hood.

We’ve never worked with them, but the hoods look great:

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also seem to have a sense of humor:

GE to Launch New Line of Smart Appliances

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In the first Quarter of 2009, GE will introduce a suite of ”smart” appliances.  Energy Manage-ment Enabled Appliances. These GE appliances will be enabled to receive a signal from their local utility. The appliances will receive the control message and react based on the appliance internal programming. It requires no consumer interaction.

”Now that ENERGY STAR® appliances are recognized by 75% of American consumers, the next step is to reshape when energy is being used,” said Kevin Nolan, Vice President Technology for GE Consumer & Industrial. ”Peak hour energy demand is growing faster than total energy demand. It is imperative that we begin to shift some of the energy load from peak hours to other parts of the day – – helping to avoid the need to build new power plants to meet the demand,” he explained.

For example, the automatic defrost feature on GE refrigerators is initiated by the internal electronics based on the number of refrigerator door openings and other input signals. If the refrigerator can delay the defrost cycle from occurring during peak energy usage hours, consumers will save money by paying for the same amount of energy later in the day when the rates are lower.

In addition to ”smart” refrigerators, GE will enable ranges, laundry pairs, dishwashers and microwave ovens to receive and respond to communications from the utility company. Consumers will be notified of a rate change or of critical peak pricing by the display on their appliances letting them know when higher rates are in effect. Appliances will be programmed to avoid energy usage during that time but consumers may choose to override the program – giving them ultimate control.