What is the energy star rating for refrigerators?
The Energy Star program is a voluntary labeling program run by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify products that are low in environmental impact and high in energy efficiency.
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Energy Star was created by the EPA, who has partnered with more than 600 companies across various product categories, including air conditioners and refrigerators.
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The label will tell consumers how much an appliance costs to run in a given year and how much greenhouse gas emissions are reduced per kWh of electricity consumed during operation.
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Many refrigerators have an "Energy Star" label on them which indicates they meet certain criteria set forth by the EPA.
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Enthusiasts of energy efficiency will pay more attention to this label. "Energy Star" is the most basic passive label available, and is essentially a statement that a refrigerator meets minimum energy efficiency standards set forth by the EPA.
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The Energy Star label is different from previous labels in that it doesn't indicate which specific models are chosen to carry the Energy Star label, but rather identifies refrigerators that meet standard energy efficiency requirements (see below) and have been chosen as part of a multi-year process overseen by EPA and appliance industry experts.
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The refrigerators are identified by their EPA Model Number (example: AEE-803L1). The Model Number will always begin with the letters AEE and the specific number that follows has no meaning.
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Energy Star refrigerators are generally more expensive than conventional models, and it's not always easy to determine their value based on Energy Star's label alone. For example, there is not a direct correlation between energy efficiency and price in refrigerators.
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Many of the Energy Star models are more expensive, but offer value by cooling efficiently over long periods of time, which leads to lower electricity bills over several years. Your local utility company can give you an estimated yearly cost based on your local rates and consumption.
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The Energy Star label is available for most major models, and some smaller models. The additional energy efficiency labels include the "Tough" and "Envirotec" labels. These are not as widely distributed as the basic Energy Star label and often have a higher cost.
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There are also non-EPA-approved programs that offer similar or equivalent labels, such as the Canadian Energuide label, which is used in Canada.
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Energy Star is not intended to be a substitute for government efficiency standards; it's designed to supplement those standards by offering consumers a way to quickly determine an appliance's energy performance without having to do extensive research on each individual product at a store or website.
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The EPA says that the Energy Star label was established to "help American consumers make better buying choices and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use over the life-cycles of appliances".
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While the Energy Star label is essentially a national labeling program, appliance manufacturers are responsible for meeting their own energy efficiency requirements. Energy Star is voluntary, and manufacturers can choose whether or not to participate.
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The EPA also notes that most Energy Star refrigerators will run cooler than conventional models, which helps prevent against ice build-up in the freezer compartment.
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This can lead to up to 10% savings on electricity bills during the winter months for people who live in cold climates.
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