Save money - look for the "Energy Star"
Did you know you could identify and buy energy-efficient products for your home and for your business that can save you money and help protect the environment as well? Just look for the "Energy Star" label.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced "Energy Star" in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At first, only computer equipment was labeled, but steadily more products have been added in recent years.
American consumers have purchased more than 630 million products with the Energy Star label. Last year alone, Energy Star helped save enough energy at peak time to power 10 million homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 10 million cars.
Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing appliances, consumer electronics, heating and cooling equipment, home office equipment and lighting. These products have met guidelines set by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star labels can also be found on newly constructed homes.
The Energy Star website (www.energystar.gov) can help you evaluate the energy efficiency of your home and provide suggestions for improvement. In the St. Louis area, for example, the estimated annual energy bill for an average house is $1,456. If you upgraded your home using Energy Star program suggestions, you could reduce your energy bill by approximately half.
Check out the following examples of ways to reduce energy costs in a St. Louis area home.
Making the following building improvements could save up to 20 percent ($172) annually.
- Insulate ceilings to R-38, and walls to R-11, and basement walls to R-11.
- Caulk and weatherstrip doors, windows and cracks in your home.
- When replacing windows, select those with solar-control low-E glass, especially on the east and west sides of your house. Wood or vinyl frames and argon gas between the panes of glass also will help to save energy and make your home more comfortable.
Heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment
A furnace with an Energy Star label can save approximately 15 percent ($105) on your annual heating bill.
- An Energy Star-labeled air conditioner can save 20 percent or more each year ($31).
- The average forced-air duct system loses about 30 percent of the energy produced by the furnace or air conditioner when distributing air to rooms. Reduce this energy loss, and save $257 per year, by sealing duct joints with mastic or high-quality duct tape and insulating ducts in unconditioned spaces.
- Save 5 percent to 30 percent ($43 to $257) of your heating and cooling bill by using a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts the setting at night or when your home is unoccupied.
Water heating and major appliances
- Use an insulating wrap on your water heater if it's more than 10 years old. Wraps cost $10 to $20 and are available at hard - ware stores and home improvement centers.
- Energy Star refrigerators require about half as much energy as a 10-year-old model ($50 annual savings).
- Energy Star clothes washers use about 50 percent less water and 70 percent less energy than conventional models ($100 annual savings).
Lighting, TVs and VCRs
- Lamps used more than two hours per day on average are good candidates for replace- ment with compact fluorescent lamps. The energy bill savings will more than pay for the extra cost of the lamps over their lifetime, and you will replace fewer lamps because fluorescent lamps last longer than incandescent.
- Motion sensors or timers on outdoor lights help reduce electricity for these high-use lamps.
- Look for Energy Star-labeled TVs and VCRs to reduce energy waste. (Americans spend nearly $1 billion each year to run TVs and VCRs when these products are switched off.)
For more information about the Energy Star program, call 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937), visit www.energystar.gov, or contact your local Extension office.
Sharon C. Laux, PhD
Environmental Design Specialist