In Every Home

Appliances for Cooking, Cleaning, & Care

Be Prepared Now for New Refrigerator Standards

You’ve probably seen those yellow EnergyGuide labels when you’ve shopped for an appliance – they tell you how much it will cost to operate the appliance each year. Well, if you’re looking for buy a new refrigerator you’ll notice that the EnergyGuide labels have been redesigned and that might leave you asking why?

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Beginning in September, the U.S. Department of Energy’s new mandatory energy efficiency standards for refrigerators will become more stringent, but these new super- efficient models may be available in stores now.   The EnergyGuide label has also been redesigned to better reflect the new measurements and an updated nationwide average electricity cost of 12 cents per kWh.  So, at first glance, it may appear that that some fridges use more energy than older models, but be assured that they are indeed more efficient and can save you even more money on your utility bills.

AHAM has created a website called CoolEnergySavings.org to explain the efficiency standards and new EnergyGuide labels, answer common questions and provide information on recycling your old refrigerator.

CNET.com’s Megan Wollerton recently wrote an article discussing the new refrigerator energy standards:

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)'s Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Jill Notini, says that replacing an old fridge is one of the simplest ways to make a difference in your energy bill. The good news is that models with the new energy standards don't seem to cost much more.

Unfortunately, Notini says, a lot of people transfer old fridges to a basement or garage as a backup for grocery overflow. Keeping an old fridge after buying a newer, more efficient model definitely isn't going to help you save money. But, if you actually replace an older model (as long as you aren't going from a small fridge with no ice maker to a very large fridge with an ice maker, or some other extreme) you should see significant savings.

Visit CoolEnergySavings.org today to learn more about how purchasing a new refrigerator can lower your monthly utility bills!

 

Stay Safe and Warm by Following These Portable Heater Safety Tips

Arctic air has left the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. frozen. In fact, it’s so cold that an escaped inmate in Kentucky turned himself into police just so he could escape the cold air.

Many people will be turning to portable heaters to keep their living rooms and bedrooms warm. When used properly, these heaters do a great job at providing warmth.  However, each year a number of unnecessary fires occur because the heater’s instructions were not properly followed.  

 To keep you safe and warm, AHAM recommends the following safety tips:

  • Read the manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels before using your portable electric heater.
  • DO NOT leave operating heater unattended and always unplug heater when not in use.
  • DO NOT use your heater with a power strip or extension cord. Overheating of a power strip or extension cord could result in a fire.
  • String out cords on top of area rugs or carpeting. Placing anything, including furniture, on top of the cord may damage it.
  • Keep combustible materials, such as furniture, pillows, bedding, papers, clothes and curtains at least three feet from the front of the heater and away from the sides and rear. DO NOT block heater’s air intake or exhaust source.

To view more safety tips, visit AHAM’s Heater Safety website. Additionally, you may order copies of AHAM’s Portable Electric Heater Safety brochure by clicking here. Copies are available in both English and Spanish. AHAM also has a variety of other fire safety brochures, including clothes dryer safety and Recipe for Safe Cooking. There is no shipping charge for orders of 250 or less. A nominal shipping fee is charged for larger orders.

Appliance Makers Show Off New Technologies at CES

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In case you didn’t catch the news from CES 2014 last week in Last Vegas, appliance manufacturers showed off a lot of interesting appliances that they hope to bring to your home soon. According to the blog, Techlicious, it seems that the buzzword coming out of Las Vegas was “smart?? – as in smart dishwashers, smart refrigerators, smart dishwashers and smart crock pots.

Some of the highlights of the CES Show include dishwashers that will send you texts when the dishes are clean and clothes washers that start upon a command from any device such as a smartphone or laptop.  

The entire article is available here.

ABC News was also covering CES and highlights two cool appliances including an interactive induction cooktop that will enable the user to simultaneously cook and bring up recipes to display on the cooktop without burning their hands. Another company has developed a crockpot that can be controlled from your smart phone so you can change the cooking time or temperature without ever leaving the couch.

Finally, CNET provides a rundown of what they saw – including appliances that weren’t “smart,?? but utilize new technologies to get your dishes cleaner and your wine colder.

Can you think of a new technology that you’d like to see incorporated into your home appliance?

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