Smart Decision Making With The Yellow EnergyGuide Label

The Yellow EnergyGuide label found on most energy-using appliances today helps homeowners engage in smart decision-making when it comes time to upgrade home-comfort systems. With the valuable information it provides when comparison shopping, homeowners can’t afford to ignore it.

There are five main components to a yellow EnergyGuide label, including:

1. A list of primary features, useful for comparing similar models
2. An estimated operating cost, shown in annual terms. This number, based on the average price of electricity in the U.S., helps homeowners run the numbers when performing a comparison of two or more makes and models. It’s also based on a range of operating costs so homeowners get a sense of how well a particular unit performs compared to other cost ranges.
3. Key model information, including the manufacturer, the model name and the capacity or size.
4. Energy consumption, or how much energy the equipment consumes on average. Generally shown in kilowatts, homeowners can multiply this number by the actual price of fuel in their region for a more accurate picture of operating costs
5. The Energy Star logo will appear in the lower right-hand corner, but only if the equipment meets its stringent guidelines for efficiency

Before you head out to shop, there are a few key pieces of information you should know about the yellow EnergyGuide label:

• It appears on equipment such as water heaters, furnaces, boilers, heat pumps and air conditioners.
• It won’t appear on humidifiers, dehumidifiers, clothes dryers or ovens
• The labeling process for some systems differs from the standard components listed above. In particular, furnaces won’t show operating costs, while water heaters show two operating costs (for electric and gas systems)
• The average operating cost based on electricity prices in the U.S. is updated every five years, so the label may not always reflect the most recent price increases or the actual price for electricity that you pay

Using the yellow EnergyGuide label gives homeowners critical system information, and so does contacting Climate Control Company for expert advice. Give us a call today or visit our website for more information. Providing top HVAC services and energy-efficiency advice to homeowners in western Colorado since 1956.