The EnergyGuide Label: What Springdale Homeowners Need to Know

One thing you don’t want to do when shopping for a new air conditioner, furnace, dishwasher or other home appliance is to ignore the yellow EnergyGuide label. A federal program is responsible for placing these stickers on certain appliances to inform consumers how their energy use compares to other similar products. Let’s say you’re looking for a heat pump for your Northwest Arkansas home. The EnergyGuide label will show how one model compares to all the others of a similar size and type.

This is the sort of information you don’t want to pass up, since the less energy an appliance uses, the more you’ll save. This really applies when you’re talking about big-ticket HVAC systems.

Appliances that feature the EnergyGuide label include water heaters, A/Cs of all types, clothes washers, freezers, dishwashers, furnaces, heat pumps and refrigerators. The EnergyGuide program does not include ovens and ranges, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, or clothes dryers.

What Does the Label Say?

On the EnergyGuide label, you’ll find the following information:

• Annual cost to operate. A simple flat-line graph shows where the appliance’s estimated energy use falls in a cost continuum of other models. This is based on an average of national electrical costs.
• Electrical use in kilowatt hours. The label provides a number for how much electricity the appliance will probably use in a year, based on typical user patterns.
• Details on appliance features. This appliance will be compared to other appliances with the same features. The label also will show the appliance’s manufacturer, size and model.
• Energy Star logo. This logo will be displayed on the EnergyGuide sticker if this appliance qualifies for that distinction. The Energy Star logo establishes that the appliance has exceeded minimum federal energy efficiency standards. It will use less energy than a similar appliance without the label, but will provide the same output or benefits.

To discuss how the EnergyGuide label can help you select an energy efficient HVAC system, contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We provide excellent services to communities in Northwest Arkansas.

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

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