Pros and Cons of ENERGY STAR Appliances

With climate issues and record-high energy bills looming over millions of Americans, ENERGY STAR appliances have become the talk of the town. From everything from refrigerators to toaster ovens, ENERGY STAR appliances are purported to help you save big on electricity and help the environment.

But, is it true? Today’s blog post will briefly explain what ENERGY STAR is, and the various pros and cons of these appliances.

What is ENERGY STAR?

ENERGY STAR has been around since 1992 and is a program backed by the U.S. Department of Energy. On top of providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make decisions regarding their electricity, they work with major companies to bring you products.

ENERGY STAR appliances are the same or better than standard products, with the supposed benefit of saving energy. To earn the label of an “ENERGY STAR” appliance, appliances are tested under strict energy-efficiency criteria.

Now, let’s cover the pros and cons of ENERGY STAR appliances.

The Pros of ENERGY STAR

• They do, in fact, save energy. According to the official website, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans save more than 520 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and avoid $42 billion in energy costs. Each ENERGY STAR appliance can save 10% to 50% on energy and cost compared to their non-ENERGY STAR counterpart.
• ENERGY STAR is helping the environment. There’s really no doubt that ENERGY STAR is working to better the environment. These products have helped to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses. Looking at the numbers, ENERGY STAR’s 2020 energy savings led to reductions of 210,000 short tons of sulfur dioxide, 210,000 short tons of nitrogen oxides, and 20,000 short tons of fine particulate matter.Further, over the lifetime of the ENERGY STAR program, each dollar of EPA investment has reduced 3 metric tons of GHGs from being admitted into the air.
• Tax credits for energy-efficient upgrades. If you’d like to upgrade or buy ENERGY STAR appliances, know that you can get a tax break for making the switch. For most ENERGY STAR appliances, you can get anywhere between 10% to 30% of the original cost credited back to you.

Con of ENERGY STAR: The Price

Really, the only con of ENERGY STAR appliances is the high upfront cost. You’ll likely earn back the price if you think long-term. Compared to same-year, non-certified models, ENERGY STAR can save upwards of $100 in energy bills.

Still, these appliances are simply not affordable for many households considering our current high-inflation economy.
If you’d like to find other ways to save on your electricity bill, our blog is a great place to start your research!