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Who doesn’t love to save money, especially on utility bills? When the cost savings extends to energy savings, it’s a win-win.
Large appliances can be hoggish, guzzling water and sucking up electricity like it’s oxygen. This serves no one’s purpose, wallet, or social conscience.
Thankfully, there’s an accessible government certification program called Energy Star that can help you find energy-efficient products.
Energy Star certified appliances use markedly less energy resources than average. They also qualify you for Energy Star appliance tax credits and extra tax savings. The program includes state of the art refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and, even, window AC units.
Here at the Reviewed labs, we’ve been testing appliances for decades. Many Energy Star-certified products rank among the best we’ve seen.
Here are some of our favorites.
The best Energy Star washers that we’ve tested
Samsung WF45R6100AW
With the Samsung WF45R6100AW washer, steam is released throughout the drum, so every piece of clothing is thoroughly cleaned.
A winner of Energy Star’s ‘most efficient’ award, which designates appliances with cutting edge efficiency tech, the Samsung WF45R6100AW contemporary washer can handle even very tough stains.
While this powerful washer is priced a little higher than the market average, its excellent efficiency will save you that money in energy bills over the long run. Our only complaint with the machine is that it plays rough with garments on its higher settings.
LG WM3700HWA
Affordable, feature-packed and decked out to combat pet dander, the LG WM3700HWA is a stand-out Energy Star washing machine. We like the WM3700HWA so much it is on our list of the best affordable washers on the market.
The WM3700HWA’s Allergien cycle is one of its most standout features, using steam to blast away pet dander, but the machine’s options also include a figure-eight scrub cycle, and even a cycle that uses a sort of heart-shaped pattern to clean. With a twinned dryer, it’s a great pick for an efficient laundry room.
GE Profile PTW900BPTRS
The GE PTW900BPTRS is a washer that asserts that smart should mean more than just Alexa connectivity (though it does that well—make no mistake).
This machine does an excellent job at tailoring the wash to your clothes’ soil level by itself, yet also brings the features you might want, with eight cycles, five water temperatures, and more.
Energy Star certified and oh-so-smart, the PTW900BPTRS is a modern washing machine that many will love for its contemporary accomplishments. It’s also affordably priced. Altogether, it’s the best overall washer under $1000.
Energy Star dryers we love
LG DLEX3700W
The LG DLEX3700W dryer uses about 20% less energy, which will make an impact-on your utility bills, your energy consumption, and most importantly, the environment.
The LG DLEX3700W is the twin of one of our favorite Energy Star washers, the LG WM3700HWA. With a productive speed dry setting and reliable drying across all cycles, it’s an effective machine that comes with a few extra perks like steam.
At 7.4 cubic feet, the dryer is large enough for most loads that you’ll want to throw at it. The machine’s 10year (drum) warranty means that LG is also confident in their machine’s build. Get it for all-around solid performance, energy savings, and app control.
Blomberg DHP24404W
Dryers only became part of the Energy Star program in 2015, surprising since these huge, heat-emanating appliances use a lot of energy.
One of the most impressive dryers we’ve had a chance to play with is the Blomberg DHP24404W.
This novel ventless heat-pump dryer is perfectly tailored to small spaces that don’t come equipped with a heat vent.
The machine recirculates hot air repeatedly, efficiently recycling energy and yields maximum drying power for all the energy it spends. If you’re looking for compact efficiency for a small space, you can’t do much better than this.
$1,249 at Appliances Connection
Energy Star refrigerators we love
GE GNE25JMKES
The GE GNE25JMKES french door refrigerator features an internal water dispenser that uses XWFE replacement filters.
Energy savings doesn’t have to come at the expense of style. The GE GNE25JMKES is a refrigerator for those who want Energy Star efficiency yet still want a modern French door fridge for their kitchen.
The fridge strikes such a nice balance that it even made our list of the best fridges on the market.
While the GNE25JMKES doesn’t have premium features like through-door ice and water, it does still come with some lux amenities. Humidity controls allow you to tweak the unit’s crispers, and fold-out bins help you stay organized. The fridge also comes with a nicely designed water spigot and a premium ice bin.
Hisense HRB171N6ASE
Ever vigilant, keeping our orange juice refreshing, our carrots from wilting, and our leftovers from spoiling, refrigerators are always on. That means that refrigerators are a great place to save on electricity.
The Hisense HRB171N6ASE is one of our favorite fridges out there. Affordable and reliable, this bottom-freezer fridge offers excellent value across its lifespan with an Energy Star award for its remarkable efficiency.
The HRB171N6ASE does have a couple quirks, and will need to be calibrated once set up to maintain proper freezer temperatures. However, once set up correctly, it remains reliable.
If you’re looking for an exceptional value fridge at an affordable price, this is the one.
Standout Energy Star dishwashers
Hisense HUI6220XCUS
The Hisense HUI6220XCUS dishwasher features include a quick wash cycle, which cleans lightly dishes in 15 minutes.
Super quick cycles aren’t something you’d normally associate with energy efficiency, but the Hisense HUI6220XCUS delivers both and … more. With normal and intense cycles that do slightly above-average jobs at cleaning.
One of the best value-priced dishwashers we’ve had the chance to test, the machine offers relatively few frills while keeping the basics very much in its pocket.
Beko DUT25401X
We all love an appliance with an affordable price tag, but it’s even more impressive when such appliances also deliver exceptional performance for little energy. If value is your angle, then check out the Beko DUT25401X.
The best overall affordable dishwasher we’ve seen, and one of the best outright, the DUT25401X combines solid cleaning with tip-top Energy Star efficiency.
Window air conditioners with Energy Star efficiency
GE Profile PHC08LY
The GE Profile PHCo8LY has energy efficient cooling that features three cooling and three fan speeds that provide optimal home comfort.
AC units are notorious for steep energy usage. Thankfully, the appliances have gotten a bit better over the years. If, like me, you find yourself feeling guilty running the AC unit all summer, then consider an Energy Star window AC unit like the GE Profile PHC08LY.
One of the best window AC units we’ve tested, the GE Profile PHC08LY is good at its job, efficient, and even smart home connected. The device is controllable via app, enabling you to cool your room before you get home from your night out.
LG LW1517IVSM
The LG LW1517IVSM is a powerful window air conditioning machine, no question. We thought it stood out enough to win a slot on our list of the best window AC units. Delivering 14,000 BTUs, it’s capable of cooling quite large spaces. It provides nearly twice as much cooling potential as the GE Profile PHC08LY’s 8000 BTUs. Yet even while this 102-pound AC unit pumps out cool air, it does a good enough job with efficiency to win an Energy Star.
The LG LW1517IVSM is also smart with LG’s ThinQ functionality that makes it controllable via the LG app. Get it for efficient cooling in huge spaces.
What are Energy Star appliances?
Energy Star is a certification program run by the United States Environmental Protection Program. The program manifests as a sort of seal of approval of efficiency standards, a blue and white governmental symbol that signifies that a product is energy efficient.
Beyond Energy Star, the program also awards a ‘most efficient’ award to products that particularly excel with cutting-edge efficiency and technology.
The EPA program certifies products, works with companies to develop products with better efficiency, and rates products on their energy and resource use, promoting sustainability and conservation of energy across the market.
The Energy Star program includes 75 product categories. Beyond appliances, the program’s scope even includes new homes, HVAC systems, and products like light bulbs.
Since its inception in 1992, Energy Star claims to have saved US consumers up to five-trillion kilowatt hours of electricity, or about $500 billion in energy savings.
Do Energy Star appliances qualify for a tax credit?
Energy savings from Energy Star save you money through its inherent energy savings.
However, some might not realize that the savings don’t stop there, they also save you money through tax credits. Federal tax credits provide up to $3,200 per year to help lower the cost of switching to energy efficient upgrades.
There’s not one sole way to save, Energy Star has resources that point to different ways to save on taxes through efficient appliances and home upgrades.
When you’re ready to upgrade, we recommend looking into how your purchases might qualify for Energy Star tax credits.
Energy Star appliance rebates 2022—are they still around?
Yes—the Energy Star website has a simple rebate finder that prompts you to put in your zip code to find eligible rebates in your area.
Many available rebates are federal and are available across the U.S. However, there’s also a New York State Energy Star appliance rebate program that’s worth looking into for N.Y. residents.
Are Energy Star appliances worth it?
The GE Profile PTW900BPTRS washer has a built-in voice assistant to automatically set your washer and dryer for care of specific fabrics or adjust washer settings.
Energy Star appliances are absolutely worth it.
These appliances make for excellent investments that will save you significant amounts of money across their lifespan. Many aren’t priced much higher than the competition. Additionally, the federal government provides incentives to upgrade to Energy Star efficient appliances in the form of tax credits.
All these financial incentives don’t even take into account the elephant in the room: Choosing an efficient Energy Star appliance instead of a less efficient option can dramatically reduce the amount of energy waste your home generates. Switching to Energy Star reduces pollution and carbon emissions.
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