Energy Star appliances
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It’s no secret that everybody loves to save money. Saving money, however, need not only benefit your wallet. By choosing more energy efficient home appliances and office equipment you can save money while helping protect our environment.
As New Zealand’s population and economy grows, our energy demands increase by two percent each year. Making the most energy-efficient choices will help decrease this growth.
The benefits of becoming energy efficient include reducing our carbon emissions, a more secure electricity system, and making energy more affordable for businesses and families. With power bills seemingly always on the rise, understanding which products are energy efficient—and will therefore save you money—is becoming increasingly important.
Raising awareness about energy use is the pride and passion of EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), a Crown entity responsible for helping Kiwis become more energy efficient.
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The Energy Star Mark
An independent, international benchmark for energy efficiency, only awarded to the top 25 percent most-energy-efficient products in each category.
An Energy Star-qualified washing machine is on average 50 percent more efficient than non-qualified models.
TVs with the Energy Star Mark are 30 percent more efficient than non-qualified models.
The energy rating label
The more stars on the label, the less energy the appliance needs to get the same performance as a similar model.
Each extra star equals a minimum 10 percent saving in running costs.
The red consumption box tells you approximately how much electricity is needed to run the appliance over a year. The lower the number is, the lower the running costs will be.
EECA provides information to help Kiwi consumers easily understand how energy-efficient (or not) products are. Choosing efficient appliances is important because we use them daily and tend to hold on to our appliances for a long time. The average life span for fridges and freezers in New Zealand is 15 years.
EECA also encourages smart, simple actions to cut appliance energy use, because energy efficiency isn’t just about what appliance you buy—it’s about how you use it every day.
When it comes to selecting the most energy-efficient products, EECA has implemented two important labelling systems. These systems allow you to assess the energy use of a product at a glance.
The Energy Star mark and the Energy Rating Label
If you’ve recently purchased a whiteware product, you’ll probably recognise the Energy Star mark and the Energy Rating Label. It’s important to distinguish between the two labelling systems, because they are very different.
The Energy Rating Label gives you information on how much energy a product uses, through a rating scale of six stars. The blue Energy Star is awarded to only the most energy efficient products.
The Energy Rating Label system makes it easy for you to compare the energy efficiency of both similar and different sized models of appliances. Put simply, the more stars on the label, the more energy efficient the appliance is compared to similar models, and ultimately, the more money you’ll save on running costs.
Currently you’ll find the Energy Rating Label on all whiteware appliances and heat pumps. It’s important to make sure that when you’re comparing the number of stars on the label, you’re comparing similar products. For example, if you’re comparing two-door 300L fridge-freezers, the one with the most stars will be the cheapest to run.
The Energy Rating Label has two ways to help compare the energy consumption of each model:
- The more stars on the label, the less energy the appliance needs to get the same performance as a similar model. Every extra star equals a minimum 10 percent saving in running costs.
- The number in the red consumption box tells you approximately how much electricity the appliance needs over a year. The lower the number is, the lower the running costs.
If you’ve been on the hunt for a new washing machine lately, you may have also noticed a separate label used to assess water consumption efficiency. The Ministry for the Environment is in charge of this label. It operates just like the Energy Rating Label. The more stars a product has out of six, the less water it uses and therefore the more efficient it is. This label is found alongside the regular Energy Rating Label.
Looking at the number of stars is something you don’t have to worry about when it comes to the blue Energy Star.
If you’re holding this magazine, energy-efficiency and environmental responsibility are probably important to you. Energy Star gives the best of both worlds.
The blue Energy Star is an independent, international benchmark for energy efficiency, only awarded to the top 25 percent most-energy-efficient products in each category. The Energy Star mark cannot be purchased.
“The Energy Star simplifies the purchasing process,” says Chris Green of EECA. “It’s like the Heart Foundation Tick. If a product has an Energy Star, then it’s one of the most efficient products you can buy.”
Currently you’ll find the Energy Star on televisions, home audio equipment, DVD players, computers, printers, copiers, heat pumps, dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and freezers. There are plans to expand the label to set-top boxes and CFLs soon.
A growing number of us want to purchase products that are efficient, offer value for money and are environmentally friendly. The Energy Rating Label and blue Energy Star systems make our purchasing decisions simple and easy, and encourage manufacturers to make their products more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. And that can only be a good thing for consumers and the planet.
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