By: Andrew Washington
This is the era of going green. Everything from cars to clothes to fashion accessories are trying to help in the fight to save the environment and prolong our life here on this planet. Household appliances are not exception. The United States even created Energy Star, a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. The standard has been adapted by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union.
The so-called "green appliances" not only help save energy, but also helps save money. Some stores offer Energy Star rebates in hopes that more customers will choose to go green with their new dish washers, washing machines, or other appliances. The government also offers tax rebates to consumers who choose to buy Energy Star appliances
So, what is a green appliance? It is definitely not changing all your household appliances to the color green. This term generally is used to describe any energy-efficient home appliance, especially one that has received an "Energy Star" rating. The more efficient the appliance, the less energy (and, in some cases like with washer dryers, water) it will use. Lower energy consumption means less pollution from the generation of electricity. This is important because about 90 percent of U.S. electricity comes from nonrenewable sources, mainly fossil fuels and nuclear power..
Most appliances manufactured after 1993, particularly refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers are significantly more energy-efficient than their predecessors. The bad news is that, of course they're usually more expensive. For example, a mid-priced, vertical-axis clothes washer generally costs about $500 while a more-energy-efficient horizontal-axis machine starts at about $800 and top-of-the-line models can cost $1,600.
But when you really think about it, the energy savings offset the extra initial cost. And since, as mentioned above, a lot of rebates are being offered, it will really come out cheaper in the long run. Looking at the bigger picture, what's a few extra bucks to help in the fight to save our planet and our existence?
If you cannot afford to switch to energy efficient washers and dryers right now, you can still do something to "green" your washing habits. You can use warm or cold water in the washer and save more energy by not using hot water. Use natural laundry detergent because those that have harsh chemicals is bad for the environment, not to mention bad for your clothes and your skin. Dry jeans and other heavy garments on a clothesline or clothes rack instead of running your dryer. Your energy bill will go down and your clothes will smell better.
Consider one final environmental factor before you replace an older appliance: embodied energy. This includes all the energy from mining the product's raw materials to its manufacturing and delivery to the consumer. Your old appliance contains a lot of embodied energy, but remember, so does its potential new replacement. So if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just find alternative ways to be able to go green while still using your old appliance. It will always come back to you, in ways that you may or may not see
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