Using The EnergyGuide Label When Buying Home Equipment

Homeowners in the Greater Cleveland area are always on the lookout for ways to save on energy costs. One way to achieve lower energy costs is to invest in energy-efficient HVAC equipment. As a bonus, less energy usage also reduces environmental pollution, making it a win-win situation for everyone. By using the EnergyGuide label found on many home appliances, you can more easily compare and select cost-effective, environmentally friendly HVAC equipment.

The EnergyGuide label is the bright yellow label found on many appliances. It was designed to help consumers determine how energy efficient an energy-using product or appliance operates in comparison to similar equipment. Some types of appliances don’t have an EnergyGuide label if they have little variation in energy usage. Air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps all have significant variations in their energy efficiency, so using the EnergyGuide label will help you determine which one will save you the most money.

When looking at an EnergyGuide label, there are some key areas to focus on. In the top left corner, the key features of the appliance are listed so that you know what criteria are being used for comparison.

In the middle section, a range of costs are shown with the specific appliance’s estimated yearly cost marked on the range. A word of caution: this amount, shown in dollars, is based on average energy costs. Since your utility’s energy costs may be different, this amount is only an estimate. Your actual costs might be higher or lower.

At the bottom of the label, you’ll see an estimate of how much energy the appliance will use in a year. Again, this is just an estimate, but it does help you figure out your actual costs. By multiplying this number times your energy rate, you can determine approximately how much you’ll be paying over the course of the year to run the appliance. You may also see an Energy Star symbol. This means that the appliance uses less energy than standard models of the same appliance, so it’s better for the environment.

For more information about using the EnergyGuide label or other HVAC information, please contact us at Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We provide quality HVAC services to the Greater Cleveland area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Western Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about EnergyGuide label and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

For those Do it Yourselfers who would rather take control of your own indoor comfort, you can shop our online store for replacement parts, products and accessories!   

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