Whether you are planning to make some small changes or a full remodel, you are most likely going to be looking at appliances. The three most important things to be aware of is energy efficiency, current incentives and working with a professional. The funny thing is, we all have appliances but know little about them. We understand the fundamentals, but not the modern innovations and changes from what we are replacing. The life span of appliances is typically 10yrs to 20yrs and unlike cars, televisions, clothes, etc it’s not something we really pay attention to and shop for on a regular basis. For example, imagine buying a television in 1993 and never looking at another one until today. You would find big changes with lots of new options. The same is true for appliances.
The most important thing to be aware of is energy efficiency. Your kitchen is the most power hungry room in the house. For example, if you replaced a refrigerator manufactured before 1993 with a new ENERGY STAR® qualified model it would save enough energy to light the average household for more than 4 ½ months!* The easy way to make sure a new kitchen appliance is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR® mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.
Do you have a dishwasher made before 1994? If so, you’re paying an extra $40 a year on your utility bills and using an extra 8 gallons of water each wash versus a new ENERGY STAR® qualified model. If you still have a refrigerator from the 1980s, replace it with an ENERGY STAR® model and save over $100 each year. Replace a refrigerator from the 1970s and save nearly $200 each year!** Clothes washers built before 1998 are significantly less efficient than newer models. If your washer is more than 10 years old, you’re paying about $135 more each year on your utility bill than you would if you owned a new ENERGY STAR® qualified model.
The good news is companies are making it more affordable to own and easier to find these models. In fact there are so many programs and incentives that in many cases it would be more expensive not to buy ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances. To encourage customers to buy energy efficient products, ENERGY STAR® partners sponsor special offers. These offers include sales tax exemptions, credits, or rebates on qualified products. Partners will also sponsor recycling incentives for the proper disposal of old products. The link below is provided as a service to find such special offers or rebates based on information that partners submit to ENERGY STAR ®.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator
When starting your new project, make sure you are taking advantage of every rebate and incentive available. When it comes to shopping for the best deals, not all companies have the same rebates and incentives available. Not only are some dealer’s rebates better than others, they may also have internal rebates in addition to the manufacturers. Make sure you are asking for this information and not just assuming it is the same from one business to the next. You can easily save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on your purchase by using multiple rebates.
So now it’s time to pick out some appliances…where do you start? The energy efficiency part is easy, just look for the blue label. If you are working with a contractor, designer, cabinet company, counter top company, flooring company, electrician, plumber or all of the above, find out if there are any restrictions or requirements before you start. If you are not replacing cabinets you will want to bring the measurements for your appliance openings. Measure the height, width and depth. If you are getting new cabinets bring any plans you have and if you’re not that far yet that’s ok. It is never too early to look at appliances. In fact the bigger the job the easier some of your other choices will be if you have a general idea of what’s out there.
The number one thing I recommend is to seek out a professional appliance sales consultant and stay away from an order taker. Professional sales consultants will be able to show you new products and features that are important to you, while at the same time maximizing energy efficiency savings, rebates and incentives. He or she can also provide you with specification sheets, answers to not only your questions but your contractors, and most importantly, help you avoid future headaches. By working with a professional appliance consultant you will have an expert to work with that is trained to be a valuable resource before and after the sale.
Steve Grandbois
Builders Appliance Center
3701 South Mason Street
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-207-0015
sgrandbois@4bac.com
*U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® Program – www.energystar.gov
**Earth Easy - www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeffic_appl.htm