Energy Star Ratings Get a Boost

If you used Energy Star ratings to help you choose the best electronics and appliances, then you will be happy to hear that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are upping their standards even more. They have created a "Most Efficient" designation as part of the Energy Star energy-efficiency rating program which will help customers further by telling us which products are the most efficient when shopping.

This designation will go to products that have gone above and beyond in their efficiency metrics. They are the examples of eco-friendly, efficient technology products at their best. The label will be reserved for the top 5% of a class, according the new criteria as outlined on the Energy Star website. Some of the first categories to be recognized are laundry washers, heating and cooling equipment, televisions, furnaces and refrigerator/freezers. These are some of the most-used appliances and electronics in the average home and the ones that can use the most energy.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, "This new designation will help Americans save money and cut pollution by quickly pointing them to the best Energy Star products have to offer. Highlighting Energy Star's Most Efficient products is a great way to encourage the strides in innovation that bring even more energy and money saving choices to our stores. We know American consumers are eager to make purchases that save them money on their utility bills and reduce the pollution in the air we breathe, and these labels will help them identify the best ways to find those purchases."

Some of the companies who have received the rating of "Most Efficient" so far are Electrolux Major Appliances, Sears' Kenmore, LG, Samsung, Best Buy's Insignia Brand, Panasonic, Nordyne, and Rheem. As the year goes on, we can expect to see more product categories and more products included in this rating system.

This is great for the consumer because it helps us to choose the most efficient and eco-friendly products available to us. It also serves as encouragement for the companies to produce better, more efficient products for us, improving the entire market as a whole. This new criteria shows that our governmental agencies care about the products that are being put out on the consumer market and that energy efficiency is important to them as well.

If you want to research the energy efficiency of products before you buy, you can search on their website by category such as appliances, computers and electronics, heating and cooling, lighting and fans, etc. You will also find that the sales personnel at more and more stores are capable of giving you information about the Energy Star ratings on a product. It's now easier than ever before to shop for the best products on the market.