Have you seen that little blue sticker with the star on some of your appliances or ones in the store? That’s ENERGY STAR, part of the Environmental Protection Agency. According to them:
“ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency.”
And while ENERGY STAR was originally developed in 1992 as part of the Clean Air Act, there are more benefits to it than just reducing emissions. Products and appliances that receive the ENERGY STAR rating are also guaranteed to save you money. First of all, they generally use less energy than their non-certified counterparts and many utility companies offer rebates for ENERGY STAR products. Here are LG&E’s rebates:
See the rest of LG&E’s rebate program.
ENERGY STAR Certification
In order to earn the distinction of ENERGY STAR, products must be third-party certified based on testing in EPA-recognized laboratories, like the Underwriter’s Laboratories. In addition to up-front testing, a percentage of all ENERGY STAR products are subject to yearly “off–the–shelf” verification tests. The goal of this testing is to ensure that changes or variations in the manufacturing process do not undermine a product’s qualification with ENERGY STAR requirements.
Homes and business buildings can also be ENERGY STAR certified. Usually this includes passing a test or following a strict set of guidelines during the construction process.
Learn more about the ENERGY STAR program or check out our summer energy saving tips.
