Appliances - The EnerGuide Label

Everyone compares prices when shopping for new appliances. Sharp shoppers also compare EnerGuide ratings to find the best energy-saving deals. They know the sticker price is just the beginning because the total cost of any appliance is the purchase price plus the operating cost over the long term. In fact, it could cost more to operate an appliance for 15 or 20 years than its initial purchase price.

Don't forget-the first price isn't the final price. Once you have bought an appliance, you'll continue to pay every time you use it, and in busy houses with mountains of laundry and piles of dirty dishes, energy costs can really add up.

The EnerGuide label reports annual energy consumption figures in kilowatt-hours (kWh/yr) for electrically powered refrigerators, freezers, ranges, dishwashers, clothes washers, dryers and room air conditioners, so you can calculate in advance how much you'll pay to run an appliance once you plug it in. This is the second price tag.

Comparison shopping between similar models is easy with EnerGuide at your side. Every label shows an EnerGuide rating scale to illustrate how the tested energy performance of each model measures up when compared to others of the same size and class.