Natural Resources Canada
April 30, 1998
SAVE MONEY WHEN YOU SHOP FOR APPLIANCES
Ottawa, Ontario — During May, you can find out how to save
money and energy when you shop in the appliance departments at The Brick,
Eaton's, Future Shop or Sears. Natural Resources Canada's EnerGuide Program has
teamed up with these major retail stores to provide consumers with in-store
shoppping guides packed with interesting facts about energy use, energy
efficiency and EnerGuide labels, as well as sound advice on buying and operating
major appliances.
May 1998 is national EnerGuide Month in over 250 stores across Canada.
Canadians shopping for new refrigerators, clothes washers or dishwashers during
May will receive valuable information at these stores on how they can save
energy and money when buying and using these appliances. A checklist is
included to help consumers through the buying process.
"Consumers usually have a checklist of features they want, including
special options, size, space arrangement and colour. Energy consumption may be
low on the list, or not on it at all," explains Anne Wilkins, coordinator
of the national EnerGuide Program for major household appliances.
"Whether you are aware of it or not, you are making a decision about
energy use when you purchase a new appliance," said Ms. Wilkins. "Once
you buy an appliance, you continue to pay for its operating costs through
monthly energy bills. Energy consumption should be high on everyone's
checklist."
The shopping guides that will be found in the stores contains a formula to
help calculate the energy consumption of the appliance they are planning to buy.
You can determine firsthand how much energy an appliance uses each year, how it
compares to other models on the market, and how much you can expect to save on
energy costs by choosing a more energy- efficient appliance. The guides also
explain how saving energy can have a positive impact on our environment.
With the right information, energy-wise consumers will know what questions
to ask appliance sales people: How much does the appliance cost to operate over
one year? How does the energy consumption of one appliance compare to another?
What is the energy consumption rating on the EnerGuide label?
The information provided during EnerGuide Month will also help consumers
understand how to use the EnerGuide label to make the most cost-effective and
energy-wise choice. The EnerGuide label is not a seal of approval, indicating
that that particular appliance is energy efficient; rather, it is an objective
and unbiased statement of how much energy a new appliance consumes in one year.
It has been displayed on appliances for the past 20 years and has been a model
for promoting the use of more energy-efficient appliances in many countries
around the world.
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EnerGuide, the official Government of Canada mark associated with
the labelling and rating of the energy consumption or energy efficiency of
specific products, is an initiative of Natural Resources Canada's Office of
Energy Efficiency. There are EnerGuide labels on most new major household
appliances, room air conditioners, and new vehicles; and soon there will be
labels on houses. EnerGuide ratings are also printed on the back of
manufacturers' brochures for gas furnances, heat pumps and central air
conditioners. |
The information provided during EnerGuide Month will also help consumers understand
how to use the EnerGuide label to make the most cost-effective and energy-wise
choice. The EnerGuide label is not a seal of approval, indicating that
that particular appliance is energy efficient; rather, it is an objective
and unbiased statement of how much energy a new appliance consumes in
one year. It has been displayed on appliances for the past 20 years and
has been a model for promoting the use of more energy-efficient appliances
in many countries around the world.
You can get your information guides at your local The Brick, Eaton's,
Future Shop or Sears store, or by calling 1-800-387-2000 for a free EnerGuide
Kit containing the guides. A copy of the in-store shopping guides is also
available on the EnerGuide Program's web site at: [http://energuide.nrcan.gc.ca/].
For more information:
Anne Wilkins
Coordinator
EnerGuide Program - Major Household Appliances
Office of Energy Efficiency
Natural Resources Canada
Tel: (613) 992-3900
To obtain a media kit:
Zannet Reza
Tel: (416) 593-7017
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