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Looking for a Good Return on Investment?
Discover ENERGY STAR® Qualified Products
(484 words)
In today's financial climate, everyone is looking for the best return on investment (ROI), whether from a bank, the stock market or items they buy for the home.
With energy prices on the rise, it's not surprising that more consumers are discovering that ENERGY STAR qualified products have a very good ROI.
Take clothes washers as an example. A clothes washer bearing an ENERGY STAR symbol will use 20 to 50 percent less energy and 35 to 50 percent less water than a conventional model.
A typical ENERGY STAR qualified washer purchased in 2007 would use an average of 202 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year to operate. This translates into an annual energy cost of $20.20 (202 kWh x $0.10 per kWh, the Canadian average price of electricity) and includes the energy required by an electric water heater to heat water for the machine. If you use a gas-fired water heater or always use cold water when washing clothes, the total usage costs would be even lower. Studies show that clothes rinsed in cold water come out just as clean as those rinsed in warm, so go cold!
A comparable non-ENERGY STAR qualified washer would use an average of
374 kWh a year and cost $37.40 to operate (you can use Canada's EnerGuide label to more accurately calculate your energy costs; multiply the bold figure on the label that denotes total kWh consumption per year by the local electricity rate shown on your utility bill).
Clothes Washer Return on Investment
Average annual
kWh/yr rating for 2007 |
Average annual operating
cost ($0.10/kWh/yr) |
| ENERGY STAR qualified 202 |
$20.20 |
| Standard 374 |
$37.40 |
Energy
savings/yr |
Electricity
savings |
Average additional cost
for an ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer |
ROI |
| 172 kWh/yr |
$17.20 |
$150.00 |
11% |
Because ENERGY STAR qualified washers remove more water from the clothes and shorten drying time for each load, you would also save money by reducing the amount of electricity used by your clothes dryer. As an added bonus, saving energy reduces environmental impacts associated with the combustion of fossil fuels.
Buying energy-efficient appliances helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The end result is more money in your pocket and a better environment for everyone, including future generations. To find out more about the Government of Canada's initiatives to help reduce the consequences of climate change, visit ecoaction.gc.ca [This link opens a new window]
Natural Resources Canada publishes an annual directory that lists more than 5000 appliances currently sold in Canada and calculates annual operating costs based on national average electricity rates. To order a free copy of the
2007 EnerGuide Appliance Directory, call 1 800 387-2000 toll-free or visit the Publications link on ecoaction.gc.ca [This link opens a new window] and chose Energy Efficiency Publications. Other publications are also available by writing to Energy Publications, Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada, c/o St. Joseph Communications, Order Processing Unit, 1165 Kenaston Street, P.O. Box 9809, Station T, Ottawa ON K1G 6S1.
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