Appliances

Here you'll find information about the cost to operate appliances and what to consider when buying a new one. Follow this link to use our helpful appliance calculator.

There's been much emphasis on weatherizing your home to use less energy. Equally important is understanding how much various appliances cost to operate so you can make informed choices. Our brochure "Understanding Home Energy Use" can be helpful in addition to this section of our website.

Your house can use all sorts of energy, even if you are not home. To increase convenience, many appliances are always on, even when you are not using them. Televisions and other appliances with an "instant-on" feature may eliminate delay in the appliance being ready for use, but there is an energy penalty to pay. Computers and monitors are other items that are often always on. As a rule, just about any device with a remote control is always on.

The water heater, refrigerator and freezer are other examples of appliances that consume energy, around the clock, whether you use them or not.

New refrigerators and freezers are as much as twice as efficient as models built just 15 years ago. For a lower operating cost, consider Energy Star® appliances. Good information on Energy Star® appliances is available on this website.

If you are planning to purchase a new refrigerator you might consider participating in our Energy Star® refrigerator rebate program. There is also a rebate for clothes washers with a MEF (modified energy factor) of 1.72.

General Note: The Energy Adviser has written a number of articles about appliances. Check here for topics of interest.