What is ENERGY STAR?

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

Products that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. ENERGY STAR makes it easy for you to choose products that not only save you money, but help the environment by preventing greenhouse gases associated with global warming--all this without sacrificing the quality that you expect from these products.
Did You Know?




· The typical household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills. With ENERGY STAR, you can save over one-third, or more than $700.
· The energy used in the average house can cause twice as much the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car.
· More than 60 types of products have earned the ENERGY STAR and more than 40,000 product models have earned the ENERGY STAR.
· Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, prevented 43 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 alone––equivalent to the annual emissions from 29 million vehicles––and saved more than $19 billion on their utility bills.


CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
· Consumer electronic products are responsible for approximately 15% of household electricity use.
· According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average American household has three televisions, two DVD players or recorders, and one desktop computer. By replacing all of these home electronics with ENERGY STAR models, you can save more than $200 over the lifetime of the products. If every American household did this, we would save over $20 billion dollars in energy costs and prevent more than 320 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the products."


TELEVISIONS AND VCRS
· TVs that carry the ENERGY STAR label are as much as 30 percent more efficient than conventional models.
· Today’s TVs, when combined with related products like DVD players and set-top boxes, make up about 10% of a household’s annual electricity bill.

AUDIO EQUIPMENT AND DVD PRODUCTS
· Save more by bundling your ENERGY STAR home electronics, such as TVs, VCRs, DVD players, and home audio equipment.
· If each TV, DVD, and home theatre system purchased in the U.S. this year was ENERGY STAR qualified, we would prevent more than 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER BOXES (DTAs)
· If every DTA sold as a result of the digital transition were ENERGY STAR qualified, Americans would save approximately $90 million in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 100,000 cars.

BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS
· In the U.S. alone, more energy efficient battery chargers have the potential to save Americans more than $100 million annually while preventing the release of more than one million tons of greenhouse gas emissions — equivalent to the emissions of 150,000 cars.
. On average, ENERGY STAR qualified battery chargers will use 30-35% less energy than conventional models.


EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES
· EPA estimates there are 8 external power adapters for every person (20 per household) in the United States—as many as 2.4 billion in total.
· If all external power adapters sold in the United States meet the ENERGY STAR requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $2 billion each year and prevent 20 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from more than 1.5 million vehicles.


OFFICE PRODUCTS
· If you purchase ENERGY STAR products for your home office, equipped with a desktop computer, LCD monitor, and multifunction device (MFD), and enable power management you can save up to $375 over the life of the products.
· If every home office product purchased in the U.S. this year was ENERGY STAR qualified, we would save more than $75 million in annual energy costs while preventing 1 billion pounds of greenhouse gases equivalent to emissions of 90,000 cars.


DESTOP COMPUTERS AND LAPTOP COMPUTERS
· If all computers sold in the United States meet the ENERGY STAR requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $2 billion each year and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from more than 3 million vehicles.
· If every computer purchased by businesses this year meets the new ENERGY STAR requirements, businesses would save more than $1.6 billion over the lifetime of those models.
· An ENERGY STAR qualified model has power management features which can save you up to $85 per year.




PRINTERS AND SCANNERS
· On average, imaging equipment models that meet the revised ENERGY STAR criteria will be 15 percent more efficient.
· If all imaging equipment sold met the new ENERGY STAR requirements, annual savings would grow to nearly 3 million metrics tons of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2), equivalent to emissions from over half a million cars.



HEATING AND COOLING PRODUCTS
· If every American household serviced their heating and cooling systems, changed their air filters, sealed and insulated heating and cooling ducts in unfinished areas, and programmed their thermostat for energy savings while they’re away or asleep, we would save $14 billion in annual energy costs while preventing more than 160 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions from 14 million cars.

PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS
· With proper use, programmable thermostats can save about $180 every year in energy costs.
· It’s easy to forget to adjust the thermostat when leaving the house or going to bed, and it takes time for the house to cool off (or warm up) once the thermostat is adjusted, which can be uncomfortable. Here's where a programmable thermostat pays off, because it automatically adjusts the temperature when you're not home, and when you go to sleep. Total energy savings will depend on the climate in your area, and the insulation materials, and heating and cooling system, in your house.

CEILING FANS
· ENERGY STAR-qualified ceiling fans with lights are about 50 percent more efficient than conventional fan/light units, saving you more than $170 in energy costs over the fan’s lifetime.
· On hotter days, dialing up the air conditioning thermostat by only two degrees and using your ceiling fan can lower air conditioning costs by up to 14% over the course of the cooling season.


ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS
·If every room air conditioner sold were ENERGY STAR qualified, it would prevent 800 million pounds of green gas emissions annually, equivalent to the emissions of more than 66,000 cards.


LIGHTING PRODUCTS
· If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save close to $9 billion each year in energy costs, and together we’d prevent the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.


LIGHT FIXTURES
· ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and fixtures produce about 75% less energy, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
· If every American replaced just one light bulb or fixture with an ENERGY STAR-qualified one, we would save more than $700 million in annual energy costs, and we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.


BULBS
· An ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL comes with a two-year warranty.
· ENERGY STAR-qualified bulbs and fixtures use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
· An ENERGY STAR qualified CFL can save $30 in electricity costs over its lifetime.

DECORATIVE LIGHT STRINGS
· An ENERGY STAR qualified decorative light string uses 75% less energy than an incandescent light string.
· Over 100 million decorative light strings will be sold in the United States this year. These light strings have the potential to consumer over 3 billion kWh per year, costing U.S. consumers over $300 million in electricity costs.

CLOTHES WASHERS
· ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers reduce energy by about 30% and water consumption by over 50% compared to regular washers.
· Many qualified clothes washers have a greater capacity than conventional models, which means fewer loads of laundry.

DISHWASHERS
· ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers are on average 10% more energy efficient than non-qualified models.

ROOM AIR CLEANERS
· A typical room air cleaner, operating continuously, uses approximately 835 kWh per year in electricity - this is about 60% more than the power used by a new refrigerator!

ENERGY STAR Tips

MAKE A PLAN:
Visit energystar.gov and use EPA’s online tools to help you assess your home and make it more energy-efficient. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, recommendations from ENERGY STAR can reduce your utility bills by up to 30%, make you more comfortable, and protect our environment.

MAKE SAVING ENERGY ENTERTAINING
Make sure your next TV has earned the ENERGY STAR. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified components, including DVD players, sound systems, and set-top boxes.

SEAL AND INSULATE
Use caulk, spray foam, and weather stripping to seal your home’s outer walls, ceilings, windows, doors, and floors. Add insulation to your attic to help keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Also seal leaks and repair disconnections in your home’s duct system to improve efficiency.

HEAT AND COOL EFFICIENTLY
Change your air filter at least once every 3 months, have your heating and cooling systems tuned-up by a professional annually, and install and properly use a programmable thermostat. When replacing heating or cooling equipment, choose models that have earned the ENERGY STAR and ask your contractor if they follow the ENERGY STAR Quality Installation guidelines.

ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE STAR
Choose products that have earned the ENERGY STAR label. While offering all the features you want, these products also meet strict guidelines to help you save money and protect our environment. Products with the ENERGY STAR label are available in more than 60 product categories – and even new homes can earn the ENERGY STAR.

GO WHOLE-HOUSE
Find out if Home Performance with ENERGY STAR is available in your area. Through this program, specially-trained contractors will evaluate your home using state-of-the-art equipment and provide recommendations to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort. They can also help you get the work done right!

[SOURCE: Amazon]