With the ever growing popularity of various electronics products today comes the burden of higher electrical bills. Our Television sets are bigger, which consumes more energy, and we also use either a receiver or a TiVo in addition to the TV. And as Computers also have become an integral part of our daily lives, that's another appliance that will consume energy and add up to our electric bill. As the climate changes, we find our homes colder or warmer than what used to be some years ago, so we end up making our airconditioners colder or heaters warmer, which again, adds up to our electrical bill. And let's face it, with the ever rising price of electricity, we need to save on our electrical consumption.
When it comes to saving electricity, one name instantly pops into mind. Energy Star. Yes, the same Energy Star that you often see in the top left (or right) of your monitor whenever you boot up your PC. The Energy star site features various products that have "earned" the Energy Star logo for their efficiency in using electricity. You can also find guides and tips on how to choose a specific product to suit your needs. For example, aside from showing you a list of Energy Efficient models of Airconditioners, the Energy star site also shows how much cooling capacity (measured in BTU's) is needed for a certain area. That way, you will be able to save money by buying the Airconditioner Model that will suffice in cooling your target area.
Another good method of choosing Energy Efficient Products is the EER rating. EER means Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the EER, the more energy efficient the product is. EER ratings can be mostly found in products that have a electrical motors in them, such as Airconditioners, Freezers and Refrigerators, and Washing Machines. When it comes to lighting CFL's (compact Fluorescent Bulbs) should be your only choice. You can save as much as 80% on your energy consumption when you use CFL's than incandescent bulbs. Beware of cheap CFL's though, since most of them don't last long.
Energy Efficient Products not only saves you money, but it also contributes greatly in reducing pollution. Simply put, higher energy consumption denotes that more fuel is needed to be burned to produce more energy. It doesn't matter if your energy source comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, or hydrothermal Electrical Plants, consuming less electricity would help the environment.
So if you're looking to buy a new electric appliance, consider browsing the Energy Star website first so you can check the list of Energy Efficient products and also read some guides and tips on your purchase.
