Your home appliances account for about 30% of your energy costs. These are things that we can’t live without, like refrigerators, water heaters, washers and dryers, and other large appliances.
Yup, these things are directly responsible for a third of the monthly sticker shock from your utility bill. We’re not even factoring things like your HVAC system.
There are ways to help decrease your energy consumption, and keep more of your hard-earned money in your own pocket. One of the best, and easiest, is energy efficient appliances.
Almost all home appliance manufacturers are producing energy-efficient appliances. From HE washing machines to tvs that consume almost no electricity, the technological advancements are amazing. Of course, it can be a hit to the budget to replace your current appliances with new, more efficient ones.
Even the government is focusing on saving energy. It’s hard to meet the increasing energy demand, so they’re turning to conservation. Many states, and even a lot of cities, have government assistance programs that may help. You can get great rebates that may pay for most of a new energy efficient appliance. The best part is, these aren’t difficult to qualify for, and are usually run by your utility company.
Here are a few reasons why you should switch to energy-efficient appliances.
They’re Environmentally Friendly
Using energy-efficient appliances helps reduce the electricity we need. Most electricity is made from other natural resources like water, coal, oil, and natural gas. Conserving these natural resources helps lead to sustainable development.
Energy-efficient appliances are eco-friendly. This means using them helps reduce pollution, as they use less water and don’t emit harmful gases into the environment. These appliances also consume less energy, so they can help conserve resources. Whether you’ve just started your research, or you’re ready to buy now, eco friendly appliances belong in your home.
They Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
There’s been a lot of talk in the past few years about your carbon footprint. What is it, exactly? A carbon footprint is the volume of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere by a person in a year. Since the energy-efficient appliances are eco-friendly, they release much lower quantities of these harmful gases, thereby reducing your carbon footprint.
They’re Good for the Economy
Energy-efficient appliances help with energy conservation, which in turn helps save you money. Pair your utility bill savings with the programs to help you purchase energy efficient appliances, and that’s quite the chunk of change. Even if you don’t get appliance assistance, a new energy efficient appliance can pay for itself in just a couple years. And that’s just in energy costs savings.
Not only that, but new appliances aren’t a small investment. Purchasing an energy efficient appliance can help spur growth in the retail sector. You can start small by replacing your fluorescent light bulbs with energy-saving alternatives, and work your way up to a new dishwasher or washing machine.
They Enhance Quality of Life
Energy-efficient appliances are more convenient to use. Have you seen some of the features these new appliances have? They’re things I never knew I needed, but am seriously wondering how I live without them. Newly designed appliances aren’t just energy efficient, they have real changes that make life easier. You may have noticed that energy-efficient bulbs last much longer than those ordinary bulbs. Energy-efficient appliances don’t just have positive effects on our environment; they greatly enhance our quality of life.