Fridge on blink? About to upgrade your stove? The word is that Energy Star appliances are the way to go. They are reputed to save energy and therefore costs during use. Now that's good news for homeowners, but apartment dwellers can at least try to make suggestions to a landlord who has agreed to replace a malfunctioning appliance.
The good: The Energy Star rating is a standard established to make one consistent set of rules for companies to meet in order to deem their products energy efficient. It makes it easier for consumers and it has forced improvements in many products.
The bad: Let's say it all together, "corporations are about the bottom line." If there's a rule, corporations will find a way to break it to save a penny. So companies have found ways to eek by and get the designation. For example, Consumer Reports found one dishwasher company ran its tests on dishwashers filled with clean rather than soiled dishes. It passed. Now aren't you excited to buy a dishwasher that conserves energy when it cleans clean dishes?
The reality: even if they are marginally fulfilling the Energy Star ratings, these appliances are likely to be better energy conservers than the products that can't even fake it! I now, I know a hollow victory. But let's chalk it up to a step in the right direction.
