EnergyGuide labels provide valuable information about a product. Let's take a closer look at what kind of information is on there and what they mean.
What's an EnergyGuide label?
FTC’s EnergyGuide label is a yellow tag that is found on most appliances. This label shows an estimate of the yearly energy cost for that appliance model based on typical usage and allows the consumer to compare the model’s energy use with similar models. Energy efficient appliances cost less to run, and they can lower your utility bills. Energy efficiency is also good for the environment as it reduces air pollution and dependence on natural resources.
Some of the appliances that have an EnergyGuide label are clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators. Cooking appliances and clothes dryers do no carry an EnergyGuide label.
What’s on a washer's EnergyGuide label?
Here is what an EnergyGuide label for washers looks like and here is what the symbols and numbers stand for:
1.
Key Features
The key features of the appliance that make up the cost range below are shown here.
2.
Product Model
The make and the model of the appliance are shown here.
3.
Estimated Yearly Operating Cost (With an electric water heater)
If you own an electric water heater, check this part for the estimated cost of yearly operation. This is calculated based on this appliance's yearly electricity use (shown below) and the national average cost of energy. Every appliance on the market displays this estimated cost so that you can compare the cost between different models.
For a more accurate calculation you can check the electricity cost in your city, as the national average is updated once in five years for these labels.
4.
Cost Ranges
The cost range that washers on the market with similar features fall into is shown here.
With the help of this cost range, you can see how energy efficient this product is compared to similar products. If the "Estimated Yearly Energy Cost" is closer to the left-hand side of the range, it means that this product is more energy efficient than most of the products similar to it.
5.
Estimated Yearly Electricity Use (kWh/year)
Estimated yearly use of energy is shown here. This is based on the appliance’s average electricity consumption with a typical use. For washers, this is based on 6 washes per week.
When you multiply this amount with the national average electricity cost (mentioned at the bottom of the label) you can calculate the estimated yearly energy cost (shown above).
6.
Estimated Yearly Operating Cost (With a natural gas water heater)
If you own a natural gas water heater, check this part for the estimated cost of yearly operation. This is calculated based on this appliance's yearly typical use of 6 washes per week and the national average cost of gas (mentioned at the bottom of the label).
For a more accurate calculation you can check the gas cost in your city as the national average is updated once in five years for these labels.
Why should you care about energy efficiency?
For two basic reasons:
- Your household budget and
- The environment
ENERGY STAR® certified washers include several innovations that reduce energy and water consumption and improve performance.
If every clothes washer purchased in the U.S. was ENERGY STAR® certified, we could save more than $3.3 billion each year and prevent more than 19 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions, equal to the emissions from more than 1.8 million vehicles.
