What is Energy Star?

ENERGY STAR appliances

With all the buzz about the economy and saving home costs and energy efficiency lately, you’ve undoubtedly heard about ENERGY STAR appliances.  But what is ENERGY STAR and what does it mean?

ENERGY STAR Is Not a Brand

Many customers think that, ENERGY STAR is a brand.  It’s actually a government program that certifies products that use less electricity to operate than comparable ones.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) set ENERGY STAR performance targets for 35 different types of products.  There is no one magic target for products to be certified as ENERGY STAR – it’s different for each type of product.  Certified products can operate from 7% to 75 % more efficiently than their uncertified peers.

Help The Environment

Using ENERGY STAR appliances makes sense for both the environment and your bank balance.  In fact, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2009 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 30 million cars — all while saving nearly $17 billion on their utility bills.  It’s important to read the labels on ENERGY STAR products when you shop, so you know how much energy and money you can expect to save.

New Products

Another important thing to mention is that ENERGY STAR certification isn’t a one-legged race.  Products and technologies are improving all the time, so the brand or model that’s most efficient today may not be next year.  The EPA and DOE update the performance targets products must meet as market conditions change.   You can always find a list of ENERGY STAR models and their performance targets (if you’re REALLY curious) at www.energystar.gov.

Home-Tech Offers ENERGY STAR Star Products

You can find a wide selection of ENERGY STAR products in our showroom which is open to the public.  You can also shop in our NEW online store.