Energy efficient homes save money and help the environment. Best of all, a good deal of household energy efficiency practices turn on common sense principles. Childhood lessons learned, such as turning off the lights when you leave the room and closing the door when you enter and leave the house, are by far the least expensive and most energy efficient activities practiced by family members every day. Consumers who wish to move past basic energy efficiency lessons also need not fret. During the past two decades or so, technological improvements in common household appliances has transformed the appliance market.
Color preferences aside, today's consumer appliances are greener than they have ever been.
Consumers now have the option of taking a step by step approach to improving their home's energy efficiency rating by replacing their old appliances, as the situation warrants, with the newer energy efficient models. When shopping, consumers also should be aware of different labeling systems. The first label is the 'EnergyGuide', or big yellow label with black writing attached to the appliance. Appliance manufacturers are required by law to place them on refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, water heaters, furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, heat pumps and pool heaters. The label provides information about the amount of energy and the electricity costs associated with using the appliance over the course of a year.