Do your Black Friday shopping spree plans include shopping for a clothes washer, clothes dryer, dishwasher or refrigerator?

If you’re buying appliances on Black Friday, whatever you buy, make sure they carry the ENERGY STAR logo. Here’s why, courtesy of Appliances Connection, a one-stop shop for appliances and a good source for suggestions on how to save energy.

Why ENERGY STAR? Cleaner Air, Lower Bills

After heating and cooling, our homes gobble up the most energy by powering our appliances. Clothes washers, clothes dryers, refrigerators, freezers, stoves and ovens all run on either electricity or, in the case of some stoves and clothes dryers, natural gas.

Most electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants. Burning both coal and natural gas releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. This CO2 creates a gaseous blanket over the earth that causes global warming and climate change.

Burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas also pollutes the air with smoggy particles that can make it difficult for people to breathe. Polluted air causes asthma and other respiratory problems and can increase the chances that someone will have a heart attack.

Appliances that carry the ENERGY STAR logo are independently certified to meet standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its many partners to ensure that appliances perform exceptionally well while saving energy and, in the case of clothes washers, water.

What difference does it make?

Let’s take just one example: Clothes washers.

By the way, many appliances now use this “high efficiency” label. But ENERGY STAR says that, “there are no standards for energy efficiency” associated with it. “Only products that have earned the ENERGY STAR are independently certified to save energy.”

If you buy a clothes washer that is labeled with both ENERGY STAR and the “High E,” make sure you use High E detergent.

Here’s a sample clothes washers that have earned the ENERGY STAR logo.

What Else Should You Look For When Buying Appliances on Black Friday?

• Size – In addition to the ENERGY STAR logo, consider how much capacity you need. If you’re a two-person household, do you need a machine with capacity for 12?
• Energy-Saving Options – Many machines can let you choose different cycles so you can air dry dishes or use a high-spin cycle with clothes to remove most of the water before you put them in the dryer. Dryers may come with moisture sensors so they will shut off when they sense the clothes are dry, rather than keep running for a certain amount of time.
• Ability to Recycle Old Appliances – Many utilities now pay their customers to pick up old refrigerators and air conditioners, then offer a rebate when the customer purchases a more energy efficient model.

Appliances Connection has compiled detailed buying guides that will help you save energy, water, and money as well as purchase the appliance that makes the most sense for you. They offer buying guides for pretty much any appliance you’re buying, as well as for bedroom furniture, mattresses, even sofas.

NOTE: Sponsors help us bring you expert content at no cost to you. We only work with sponsors who meet our criteria for providing eco-friendly products and services. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

The post Buying Appliances on Black Friday? Make Them ENERGY STAR. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But guess what? As climate change increases, it is becoming more expensive to cool your home in the summer than heat it in the winter. Here’s a copy of my 2012 electricity bill, which shows how much electricity I use month to month and compares 2012 overall to 2011. (I have an electric heat pump for both heating and cooling). I use almost twice as much energy to cool my home in July and August than to heat it in November and December!

All of which is to say that, as we face another blistering summer, now is a smart time to think about insulating your home to keep hot air out and cooled air in.

5 WAYS TO REDUCE HIGH AIR CONDITIONING COSTS

The Mark Group, a company based in the United Kingdom but with offices in Philadelphia, Delaware, and New Jersey, is sponsoring this post to let you know what energy-saving options you can take advantage of right now. They include:

1) Home Energy Assessment – Is your attic leaking energy? Your basement? Both? Do your windows and doors need extra insulation? What about the cracks around your chimney? In 60-90 minutes, at no charge to you, the Mark Group will take a thermal photo of your home to help you identify where it makes the most sense to insulate.

2) Home Energy Audit – This is a more extensive analysis of where your home is losing air that’s been heated or cooled. It also tests and analyzes the amount of energy your appliances use. After the audit, you’ll receive a comprehensive home performance report that includes recommendations for energy saving improvements. The cost of the audit depends on where you live; both New Jersey and Pennsylvania help consumers offset your out-of-pocket expenses.

3) Air Sealing & Insulation – Heat rises in the winter and builds up in the attic in the summer. To save energy and money, seal gaps and cracks around the perimeter of the attic floor, where the interior wall studs intersect with the attic floor, as well as around recessed lighting cans, ceiling fans, and other openings. Once all the gaps are sealed, you and your energy advisor can figure out whether you need to add additional insulation to prevent conditioned air from escaping through the attic floor. You can follow a similar process to insulate your basement and crawl spaces.

4) Lighting & Appliances – Take stock of the light bulbs you use indoors and out. A variety of energy-saving compact fluorescents (CFLs) and LEDs can help you minimize the amount of money you’re spending on lighting. Plus, I love the fact that, once installed, many of these bulbs last for a decade or more. I’m too busy to keep changing light bulbs, aren’t you? Likewise, run appliances like clothes dryers, dishwashers and ovens in the cooler evening or morning hours when the heat they emit won’t be quite so noticeable – and send you scampering to crank up the AC even more.

5) Solar Hot Water and Electric – Is solar energy right for you? It depends on the home you live in, what part of the country you live in, and how much direct solar “gain” you can capture on your roof or in a system near your house. An energy audit can also let you know if you should consider solar and how much it will cost.

Summer or winter, insulating your home saves energy, increases your comfort levels, and helps you do your part to save energy and help reduce climate change. You can get much more information from the Mark website. In the United Kingdom, you’ll find them here. In the U.S., start here.

Even if Mark doesn’t have an office in your state or community, you’ll find the website highly informative, and you’ll be able to compare what they offer to similar companies that serve your neighborhood. Note that the Mark Group received the 2012 Super Service Award from Angie’s List. Whomever you do business with, make sure they are reputable, experienced, and affordable.

Full disclosure: The Mark Group underwrote this post in order to let me offer you insights on the importance of insulating your home any time of the year. ARS Rescue Rooter sponsored the helpful link to their tips on improving HVAC efficiency. The opinions expressed are my own. As you know from reading my blog, I am a strong proponent of energy efficiency and believe we should all do as much as possible to reduce the amount of energy we consume. Thanks!

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