ENERGY GUIDE LABELS EXPLAINED
Appliances can have two different labels that tell you about their potential energy usage: an Energy Guide label and an ENERGY STAR label. They're often combined but have their own individual meanings. An Energy Guide label typically tells you the following important things:
What it may cost to run the appliance for the entire year with an electric or gas hot water heater
How much energy the appliance is likely to use in a year
If the appliance is ENERGY STAR certified
Knowing how to read energy labels can help you shop smarter and save money. Read this article and learn how to compare appliances based on their energy labels.
WHAT IS AN ENERGY GUIDE LABEL?
Manufacturers are required to put an Energy Guide label on their appliances that details how much energy they use, compared to similar models, and how much you can expect to pay to run them. The Energy Guide label is always yellow, located on or inside the appliance, and shouldn't be hard to find.
ENERGY GUIDE LABEL INFORMATION EXPLAINED
Use this label to understand and compare an appliance’s energy usage and cost.
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Appliance Category
This section will identify the type of appliance and its classification, which can be defined by capacity or distinguishing features. When comparing appliances, this information should match. -
Appliance Identifiers
The appliance's make, model and size will help you verify the label. -
Estimated Yearly Cost
This section estimates what it might cost to run the appliance for the entire year with an electric hot water heater. This will allow you to compare the prices of similar appliances. -
Estimated Yearly Energy Use
This section estimates the amount of energy used by this appliance in a year. The higher this number, the more expensive it will be to run. -
Alternate Estimated Yearly Cost
For people with natural gas hot water heaters, this section estimates how much it might cost to run the appliance for a year. -
ENERGY STAR Certification
An ENERGY STAR logo means this appliance uses less energy than standard models.
ENERGY GUIDE LABEL INFORMATION
WHAT IS AN ENERGY STAR LABEL?
An ENERGY STAR label indicates that an appliance has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as energy efficient, and that it meets certain criteria designed to help protect the environment and can save consumers money by lowering utility bills. For instance, an ENERGY STAR certified washer uses about 25% less energy and 33% less water than a standard model.1 Learn more about ENERGY STAR certified laundry appliances and ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators.
While browsing in the store, look for the blue ENERGY STAR sticker (pictured above) on appliances, or find it on the lower right corner of the Energy Guide label.
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1. https://www.energystar.gov/products/appliances/clothes_washers, last visited May 21, 2020.
