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Some of the hottest holiday gifts also energy efficient

By Joyce Koballa jkoballa@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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Consumers investing in some of this year’s hottest electronic and home entertainment gifts will unwrap energy bill savings all year long.

Products with a blue ENERGY STAR label use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.

The labels can be found on major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings and plants.

Such products must meet or exceed energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy.

According to the EPA, the typical household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills. By switching to ENERGY STAR products, the EPA reports an estimated savings of 30 percent or about $700 on utility costs over the life of the products.

Alan Thompson, appliance manager at Reese Warehouse in Smithfield, said the majority of appliances and TVs sold today are ENERGY STAR products.

Thompson said ENERGY STAR products also offer rebates, which play a major role in a customer’s purchase. “Energy usage is a big thing,” he added.

While smaller items like TVs are more holiday driven, Thompson said washers and dryers are also popular gifts that families usually purchase together for a loved one.

An ENERGY STAR clothes washer uses about 70 percent less energy and 75 percent less water compared with a standard washer used 20 years ago.

If a TV, DVD player, stereo, cordless phone or digital picture frame is on your list, buying an ENERGY STAR certified product can conserve energy by 25 percent over non-qualified models.

Bill Molnar of TJ Enterprises in Brownsville, said the store stocks various ENERGY STAR products among its electronics, TVs and audio/video accessories.

Molnar said the most popular items being sold this holiday at TJ Enterprises are audio video equipment, tablets, laptop computers and LED/HD TVs.

According to ENERGY STAR, qualified TVs meet new stricter requirements and offer up to 30 percent energy savings over standard models.

The most efficient Energy Star TVs for 2014 with a screen size between 35″ and 50″ was reported to cost an annual $6 to $9 to operate.

Popular electronic devices such as sound bars, wireless speakers and gadgets with Bluetooth connectivity sporting the ENERGY Star label are up to 60 percent more efficient.

Molnar said the business also stocks and sells blue tooth speakers along with wireless cables.

Plugging your electronics into a power strip and turning it off when not in use can save even more energy and money.

Energystar.gov reported that certified computers use up to 60 percent less energy while small network equipment such as routers and modems use 20 percent less energy.

Qualified battery chargers, such as video game controls, digital cameras, power tools and even cordless lawnmowers are said to use 35 percent less energy than earlier models.

As consumers tend to use more electric over the holidays, switching to compact fluorescent or LED bulbs can help make the season brighter by offering more color and shine, not to mention energy efficiency.

Each LED bulb is up to 90 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs and can last more than 50,000 hours, or 20 years.

You can even decorate your home or Christmas tree with LED light strings that use 75 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent lights.

A complete list of ENERGY STAR certified products can be found at www.energystar.gov.

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