Buying Energy-Efficient Appliances
Appliances require a lot of energy, but the most efficient options will have the lowest impact on your monthly power bills.
In this Section
Buying Energy-Efficient Appliances
Buying a new appliance can be a big expense, so the sticker price is often one of the key factors in your decision. However, you should also consider the "second price tag," which is the amount of money it will cost to run the product over its lifetime. Appliances require a lot of energy, but the most efficient options will have the lowest impact on your monthly power bills.
There are two important labels to understand when selecting a home appliance:
EnerGuide Label
The EnerGuide label is the official Government of Canada mark that tells you how much energy a product uses and how it compares to other models in the same category. The EnerGuide label is mandatory for all household appliances and doesn't necessarily mean a product is the most energy-efficient option. To help consumers identify the most energy-efficient options, each EnerGuide label has a spectrum that shows the amount of energy it consumes. It's best to choose an option that is shown as using the least amount of energy.
- Average annual energy consumption of the appliance in kilowatt hours (kWh)
- Energy efficiency of the appliance relative to similar models
- Annual energy consumption range for models of this type and size
- Model number
- Type and size of the model
- The ENERGY STAR symbol identifies major electrical appliances that are among the most energy efficient in their class, without compromising performance
Energy Star Consumption guide label found on household appliances
View detailsENERGY STAR Label
The ENERGY STAR label is the international standard for leadership in energy efficiency and can be found on a variety of different products. While the EnerGuide label is shown on every home appliance, the ENERGY STAR label is found only on the most energy-efficient models. Specifically, products with the ENERGY STAR label are in the top 25% in their product class in terms of energy efficiency. However, there can still be differences in the efficiency of ENERGY STAR products.
For home appliances, start by using the ENERGY STAR label to identify the most efficient options, and then use the EnerGuide label to determine which model uses the least amount of energy. You can view the most energy efficient appliances in Canada by visiting NRCan's website.