What is ENERGY STAR? ENERGY STAR is the symbol for energy efficiency. It^s a label -- created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy -- to help consumers save money and prevent air pollution. How do products qualify as ENERGY STAR? An appliance or product with the ENERGY STAR label means that it^s in the top of its class for energy efficiency. Products that meet EPA and Department of Energy efficiency criteria qualify as ENERGY STAR. Consumers save money with ENERGY STAR products because they use less energy than conventional products and cost less to operate. ENERGY STAR products also offer the same or often better performance and features as conventional products. What products carry the label? Consumers can find the ENERGY STAR label on a variety of products including office equipment, home electronics, major household appliances, heating and cooling equipment, residential lighting fixtures, windows, insulation and even new homes. There are over 3400 different ENERGY STAR-labeled product models in 25 product categories. Do ENERGY STAR-labeled products cost more? No. Most ENERGY STAR-labeled products - TVs, VCRs, computers, printers and other office equipment - do not cost more than conventional products. Consumers pay more for some ENERGY STAR-labeled products, such as heating and cooling equipment, but utility bill savings more than make up for the higher initial purchase price. Annual returns on investments can be as high as 15 to 40 percent for ENERGY STAR-labeled furnaces, central air systems, and other heating and cooling equipment. How much money can I save with ENERGY STAR? By choosing ENERGY STAR-labeled products, the average household can save up to $400 on annual utility bills. Where can I find ENERGY STAR-labeled products? ENERGY STAR-labeled products can be found at local and national retailers across the country. Check the store locator on this site for a store near you. Or call our toll free hotline (1-888-STAR-YES) for information about product makes and models and where to find them. Why is saving energy important? First, saving energy helps our environment. Believe it or not, the average house actually causes more air pollution than the average car! That^s because the energy we use in our homes usually comes from power plants, which burn fossil fuel to power electrical products in our house. Burning fossil fuels causes air pollution and contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. So the more energy we save at home, the more pollution we can prevent. Saving energy also saves money. By using energy efficient products, the average household can save up to $400 per year on utility bills. That^s a great savings you can get - all from smarter, more efficient products. If over the next 15 years everyone inthe U.S. purchased only ENERGY STAR-labeled products for their home and office, we would save nearly $100 billion in energy bills.

Uploaded: 2/21/2004