Energy Efficient Appliances in the Kitchen and Laundry Room – When Did We Begin to Really Care?
Today, it’s all about buying the most energy efficient kitchen and laundry appliances you can. It all began back in the early 70’s after the oil crisis, many Americans began to look at ways to become more energy independent. We were facing environmental issues and were focused on building more dams and producing hydroelectric. In addition, coal resources in North America were becoming a problem both in mining and pollution. Out of the Department of Energy a new group was formed to help consumers and businesses alike. This was the Electric and Gas Industry Association. The EGIA worked with manufacturers like GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire and energy suppliers like PG&E to give consumers incentive to save energy.
The Plan for Energy Efficient Appliances
The idea was that if we could become more energy efficient we would not have to buy coal or oil from abroad. In addition we would not have to deplete our natural resources or flood our valuable farmland to build a dam.
Six Simple Steps for Energy Efficient Appliances
- Make refrigerators 30% more efficient each year.
- PG&E could reduce their costs by not buying power from outside sources.
- The Government would help with the research and development of more efficient compressors.
- To help with the slightly higher priced new refrigerator, there were incentives up to $200.00 rebates to replace the refrigerators.
- By reducing energy costs most homeowners could get a new refrigerator, a rebate, and lower their energy bill by enough, that the new refrigerator would pay for itself in about 6 years.
- Little things done on a big scale made a huge dent in the electricity consumption across the nation.
The Impact of Energy Efficient Appliances on California
California today has some of the toughest energy restrictions on appliances of any state in the Nation. California leads the way in energy efficient refrigerators and air conditioners. If you have a refrigerator more than 7 years old, it is considered an “Energy Hog”. If you do not take the time to clean the coils under the refrigerator, you may be surprised how much electricity a new refrigerator could save on a monthly basis.
Today the rebates focus more on front load laundry. They are concerned with the power it takes to dry a load of clothes, so the fast spin speeds are a big issue. In addition the energy used to pump water to your house and process the wastewater is a big concern, so the low water usage helps here too.
At University Electric we specialize in finding the most efficient models from all brands of appliances. We have the rebate forms on hand for PG&E as well as most of the local utility districts. We even help you fill out the forms to make the process easier for you.
Keep Your Appliances as Energy Efficient as You Can
- Clean the coils under the refrigerator.
- Replace that old refrigerator in the garage with a newer more efficient model, or better yet move it inside where it does not have to work under the extreme summer heat.
- Replace your old “frost free” freezer with a manual defrost unit.
These simple steps on just refrigeration will help save you money on energy and food.
Jim Heintz – University Electric
Website: www.UniversityElectric.com
Email: [email protected]
