I’ve talked about ENERGY STAR® appliances before, and why choosing ENERGY STAR electric dryers are a great choice to help save on utility costs. But do ENERGY STAR® appliances save money? Are ENERGY STAR® certified washers and dryers actually worth it? 

ENERGY STAR® Certified Appliances

do ENERGY STAR® appliances save money

How Do Energy Star Appliances Save Money?

Better For Your Wallet

ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers and dryers save energy, which means that you will save on energy bills. Many are also equipped with advanced features that make cleaning and drying easier and more effective.

You can save $490 over the lifetime of an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer and even more with an ENERGY STAR washer/dryer pair.

Better For The Environment

Saving energy means that certified washers and dryers help protect the climate, which means that your kids and the planet will benefit for years to come.

Washers and dryers are 25 percent and 20 percent more efficient, respectively, than standard models and protect the environment by meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Better For Your Clothes

ENERGY STAR clothes washers use a variety of sophisticated cleaning methods that are gentler on your clothes, while ENERGY STAR clothes dryers use less heat and sensor drying which reduces wear and tear on clothes from over-drying.

Learn more about ENERGY STAR appliances on the Best Buy blog, and watch the You’re saving energy, You’re saving money video while you are there – it’s super catchy and fun. 🙂

ENERGY STAR Washers

What are the specific features that make ENERGY STAR washers capable of saving energy while giving a superior performance? Do ENERGY STAR® appliances save money?

Over the lifetime of the product, an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer saves:

1,100 kWh and more than 2.5 million BTUs of natural gas, 33,000 gallons of water, and $490 over the product’s lifetime.

If all clothes washers sold in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR certified, we would save more than $4 billion each year and prevent more than 19 billion pounds of carbon pollution annually. This is equal to the emissions from 1.7 million vehicles.

ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers incorporate the following advanced features:

  • Multiple configurations – Washers are available in either front-load or redesigned top-load configurations which include technology innovations that help save energy and water.
  • Sophisticated wash systems – Top-load machines clean your clothing just like standard models without wasting water to fill up the tub. Instead, these machines use sophisticated wash systems to cycle clothes through a mixture of water and detergent, allowing the clothes to be cleaned without using excess water or detergent.
  • No central agitator – Front-load machines tumble clothes through a small amount of water instead of rubbing clothes against an agitator, while advanced top-load machines lift and tumble clothes through a reduced stream of water. Both designs dramatically reduce the amount of hot water and energy used in the wash cycle.
  • High spin speeds – Efficient motors spin clothes two to three times faster to extract more water. Less moisture in the clothes means less time in the dryer and less energy spent drying clothes.
  • Long live your clothes – Front-load and advanced top-load clothes washers’ sophisticated wash systems use a variety of methods to lift and tumble your laundry, lengthening the life of often-washed items. Additionally, because they are so gentle, many models can safely clean silk, wool and other hand-washables.

ENERGY STAR Dryers

Have dryers improved in performance while still keeping energy levels low? How do ENERGY STAR® appliances save money?

Clothes dryers that have earned the ENERGY STAR use approximately 20% less energy than standard models.

If all clothes dryers sold in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR certified, the energy cost savings would grow to more than $1.5 billion each year and 22 billion pounds of annual carbon pollution would be prevented.  This is equal to the emissions from 2 million vehicles.

ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers incorporate the following advanced features:

  • Low Heat Setting– Longer drying cycles on a low heat setting use less energy. When you purchase an ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryer, look for the cycle that uses the least amount of energy, sometimes known as the “energy-saving” selection.
  • Steam Cycles– Many dryers also include convenient features, such as a steam cycle that can help save time on ironing clothes by preventing wrinkles.

Find great ENERGY STAR washer and dryer options at Best Buy and feel good knowing that you are not only saving money but also positively impacting the environment and your community!

Steward in Sustainability

Best Buy is a 2017 ENERGY STAR partner of the year, their fourth consecutive year of winning this award, and is committed to continued sustainability practices. To understand more about the appliance energy ratings, visit the Best Buy Tech Help page here. 

 

I have been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free in exchange for this post on “Do ENERGY STAR® appliances save money”?. Opinions are my own.