Category Archives: Energy Efficiency

Energy Star refrigerators save $50/year over 1990s fridges

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This is an outdated picture of my kitchen, but you get the idea.

I’m replacing my 15-year-old refrigerator this month with a more roomy, smarter-designed and better-looking new fridge.

Best of all, it’s an Energy Star refrigerator, which means that it uses at least 20 percent less energy than a non-Energy Star fridge. Plus, although Energy Star refrigerators generally cost more upfront, you should consider overall cost of the appliance — which includes how much energy it uses compared to other models.

Energy Star estimates that over the lifetime of your refrigerator, you will cut your energy bills by $165 versus if you used an non-Energy Star model.

So think of how much you save when you unplug the refrigerator you’re using right now? Actually, see the handy chart below.

So my fridge from the ’90s costs about $97 per year compared to an Energy Star refrigerator, which uses an average of $48, according to this chart. (And actually, my new fridge is 10 percent better than the Energy Star standards; its energy use is estimated to cost about $43 per year.)

Obviously, I have to buy the new fridge, but I’ve budgeted for that. Now, what will I do with the $50? Better question: what will do with the $600 in usage cost savings I’ll realize over the average life (12 years) of my refrigerator?

Beware of Pet Hair In Your Kitchen

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Manufacturers say that most people don’t need to regularly clean their refrigerators’ condenser coils.

But, you should clean the condenser coils on refrigerators in greasy, dusty environments – and homes with “significant pet traffic” (which just sounds like a kitten parade, right?) – every two or three months.

What’s that? Cleaning stuff is a pain in the butt? Yeah, well so is replacing stuff. Regular maintenance not only ensures your refrigerator runs efficiently (aka for less money) but it will help it run for longer.

I’m betting it’s been about the suggested time span (times 10?) since you have cleared out what lies beneath, so here’s a refresher course:

How To Clean Refrigerator Condenser Coils

1. Unplug refrigerator or disconnect power. (We don’t need any heroes, people.)

2. Take off the kick plate, or “grille.” How you do this depends on the configuration of your fridge (e.g. top freezer, side by side), but the “wiggle and pull” method seems pretty universal. For more help, consult your Use & Care manual.

3. Clean the kick plate, the open area behind it and the front surface area using either a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment.

Cooking With Gas vs. Electric

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Hands down, the majority of people would get a gas cooktop or range if given the choice.

We watch celebrity chefs use them on TV, we’ve heard about the power and for some, we like seeing the flame getting bigger or smaller when we turn the knob.

But what’s better? You might be surprised.

When our sales associates attend product training, some brand representatives place pots of water on adjacent gas and electric cooktops with the question, “Which will boil faster?”

Does Gas or Electric Boil Faster?

The newer associates often balk at this question and quickly answer gas.  But lo and behold, the pot on the electric burner boils first (that’s generally the case until you get into pro-style cooking).

Electric? Really?

Yes, really.

It doesn’t look as cool, but the power is there.  Gas still trumps electric cooking in the responsiveness of its burners.

Responsiveness of Gas Burners

For example, if a recipe calls for a dish to be brought to a rolling boil and then be brought down to a simmer, it will take an electric burner longer to decrease its temperature down to the lower heat setting. So, you could find yourself moving your pan to another burner so you won’t ruin your dish.

In gas, you turn the burner down to simmer, and the heat decreases.  Some gas burners also can simmer at a lower BTU, which can be important for cooking sauces and melting chocolate.

Induction Cooking

The real winner, though, is induction cooking.

Frigidaire Induction Cooktop With Pot of Water Boiling

Induction cooking delivers the best of both worlds: speed, responsiveness and power.

Plus, because induction cooking only heats the pan, there’s very little heat loss, making induction often the most energy-efficient choice.

The smooth, electric surface is also a lot easier to clean than ceramic grates.  Downsides do exist in induction cooking.

The price point is a little higher, you can only use magnetic pans (ex: coated cast iron), it’s not as professional looking as gas, and there are fewer options available per brand — especially when purchasing a range.

If choosing gas or electric (or induction), it’s good to consider your lifestyle. Do you mostly prepare quick meals or do you cook more complicated and delicate recipes? Is ease of cleaning a concern?

What cooktop type do you prefer? Let us know in the comments.

Buy an Energy Star Washer, Get the Dryer for Free*

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*this is not a promotional offer. Just keep reading; you’ll catch on.

(Unfortunately, the washer that comes with a drum full of dollar bills is now discontinued.)

The amount you’ll save on water and electricity costs over the life (in this case, 11 years) of an Energy Star washer will pay for the matching dryer.

You’ve heard plenty anecdotal advice about energy-efficient appliances saving you money on your utility bills.

But when you’re comparing price tags – an estimated $492 for a conventional washer versus an estimated $750 for an Energy Star-qualified washer – it may seem like you won’t save money at all.

But allow us to run the numbers for you, given the above estimates with an average of 7.5 loads per week, according to the Energy Star website:

$258 (initial cost difference)
$481 (life cycle savings)
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$223 (net life cycle savings)

So, you’ll save $223 over the life of the washer, meaning that you’ll make up for the upfront additional cost of an energy-efficient model within 4.7 years.  But that’s just the savings of a standard new washer versus an Energy Star washer. Most Energy Star washers replace a old “clunker.”

Nearly 30% of all clothes washers in the U.S. are more than 10 years old. Replacing a model that old with an Energy Star model can save you more than $135 a year on your utility bills.

$135 x 11 (average life span) = $1485 savings.

$1485? That buys a really nice dryer.

Warners’ Stellian Recycles Styrofoam

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Appliance and cardboard recycling have been a part of our mission for many, many years – but we wanted to do more. “We’re moving beyond recycling pop cans. Whatever we generate that we can recycle, we’re doing,” says Warners’ Stellian President Robert Warner.

This includes:

  • cardboard
  • paper
  • wood (many appliances still come with wooden pallets)
  • plastic shrink wrap (a local nonprofit hauls it to sell for reuse. Win-win!)
  • plastic/metal banding (miles of it, seriously)
  • screws

And now we even recycle polystyrene, otherwise known as Styrofoam. Our densifier  grinds up the bulk Styrofoam from appliance packaging and converts it into a form that can be reused as another product, while reducing it by a 20:1 ratio. Waste Management used to haul off our 40-yard waste roll-off container about every four days. Now, we’re down to about once per month!

The process is EXTREMELY labor intensive. The Styrofoam must be completely clean for the densifier to work properly. This means no tape, no staples and no cardboard pieces.

“It’s very labor intensive to sort, and it’s not a profitable endeavor – especially at this point – for us,” Robert Warner says. “But the motivating factor is doing the right thing.”