Before you ask “Santa” to bring you a new washing machine, a set of cool wireless speakers, or maybe an updated flat screen tv, pass him (or her) a copy of the ENERGY STAR Holiday Gift Guide.

He – along with you and everyone else shopping for appliances, electronics, and even new holiday lights – can find great gifts that give back by saving you so much energy and money and helping prevent climate change (which is why we’re partnering with ENERGY STAR to let you know about this fabulous guide).

What’s in the ENERGY STAR Holiday Gift Guide?

EPA’s ENERGY STAR team put together the guide to help all shoppers (whether they wear a red suit or not) make the most energy efficient choice in 15 gift categories, including →→→

In each category, the guide describes the benefits of buying the ENERGY STAR certified option in terms of both energy and money saved, as well as the environmental impact.

For example, an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer will use about 45% less water and 25% less energy compared to models that meet the federal minimum standards.

Top-freezer refrigerators that have earned the ENERGY STAR use less energy than a 60-watt light bulb!

If every clothes washer, dishwasher and refrigerator purchased in the United States this year were ENERGY STAR certified, we would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from nearly 270,000 cars!

The financial savings are so significant, they amount to a gift all on their own.

The typical household spends about $2,000 a year on energy bills. With ENERGY STAR, you can save about 30%, or about $575.

I’m proof that these choices make a difference. A few years ago I switched to the ENERGY STAR qualified LED light strings similar to those featured in the guide. These qualified light strings use 75% less electricity than conventional incandescent light strings.

As much as I love the energy and money savings, I particularly like that the bulbs are very durable and don’t break the way the little incandescents used to. Plus, ENERGY STAR LED light strings are cool to the touch, which reduces the risk of fire.

The lights are available in a variety of colors, shapes, and lengths. I’m partial to the multi-colored strings, but I noticed that my city’s downtown area has wrapped all the trees in our shopping district with the cool white ones.

Another feature of the ENERGY STAR holiday gift guide is that it makes it easy for shoppers to find rebates when they’re available. All you need to do is click on “FIND REBATES” and plug in your zip code. Whatever rebates are available in your area for the product you’re buying will pop up. (Here’s how I got $200 in rebates when I bought a new ENERGY STAR refrigerator.)

Santa, if you’re shopping for a new set of speakers for me (hint, hint), PLEASE make sure you check out ENERGY STAR’s partner deals. They’ll save you a bundle buying, and me a bundle when I start bingeing on my favorite holiday carols.

You can even download a cute little holiday gift tag to use when you wrap my gift.

Whatever you buy, make sure the product label includes the ENERGY STAR imprimatur. Many manufacturers claim their goods are energy efficient, but only those that have met ENERGY STAR’s standards for quality as well as energy efficiency display the logo.

12 Days of an ENERGY STAR Christmas

Over on Facebook and Twitter, we’ll be featuring one energy-efficient gift category every day for 12 days. Please stop by and wish us a merry Ho Ho Ho!

And if you buy something from the ENERGY STAR holiday gift guide, do let us know.

NOTE: Partners enable us to bring you the expert content you need to live the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own. But of course, we only partner with those whose mission we support 100%! Happy holidays!!

The post Ask Santa to Shop From the ENERGY STAR Holiday Gift Guide This Year appeared first on Big Green Purse.

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.