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How to Read an Energy Guide Label
By Solar energy | October 8, 2008
How to Read an Energy Guide Label
In an earlier post, I shared about how to use a Kill-a-watt meter to determine home much energy your major home appliances are using. This handy electric meter told me my 1996, 18.2 cubit foot GE refrigerator cost me $137 per year to operate.
Newer, energy-efficient refrigerators cost only about $55 per year to operate. How do you know which refrigerators are energy efficient?
Look for the yellow and black Federal Trade Commission’s EnergyGuide label attached to the appliance you are interested in. This guide will tell you how much energy the appliance uses, compares energy use of similar products, and lists approximate annual operating costs.
Here’s how to read the EnergyGuide. Remember, fine print matters!
This EnergyGuide is for a 25 cubic foot LG Refrigerator-Freezer.
- The estimated yearly operating cost is $51, shown in large print mid-way down the left side of the guide.
- The simple line graph in the center indicates how this model compares to similar models. You can see that $51 dollars is the lowest and other models like this one can cost as much as $63 per year to operate.
- Below the graph in a small box is the estimated yearly electricity used by this model. In this case that is 476 kWh per year.
- Now the fine print! At the bottom of the guide the fine print says these figures are based on the 2007 national average electricity cost of 10.65 cents per kWh. I don’t know about you, but the cost per kWh is higher than that where I live.
- To find a more accurate estimate of the cost to run this refrigerator in your home, check your electric bill and find out what you pay per kWh. As an example, if you pay 12.6 cents per kWh to your electric provider, this LG refrigerator would cost you approximately $59.97 per year (476 kWh X .126 = 59.97)
- Notice the ENERGY STAR® logo in the bottom right corner. This logo assures that the appliance meets or exceeds the ENERGY STAR® level.
If this was helpful to you please leave a comment. Thanks!
Topics: home energy bills, Home Energy Use, Reducing energy use | No Comments »