Before you ask “Santa” to bring you a new washing machine, a set of cool wireless speakers, or maybe an updated flat screen tv, pass him (or her) a copy of the ENERGY STAR Holiday Gift Guide.
He – along with you and everyone else shopping for appliances, electronics, and even new holiday lights – can find great gifts that give back by saving you so much energy and money and helping prevent climate change (which is why we’re partnering with ENERGY STAR to let you know about this fabulous guide).
What’s in the ENERGY STAR Holiday Gift Guide?
EPA’s ENERGY STAR team put together the guide to help all shoppers (whether they wear a red suit or not) make the most energy efficient choice in 15 gift categories, including →→→
In each category, the guide describes the benefits of buying the ENERGY STAR certified option in terms of both energy and money saved, as well as the environmental impact.
For example, an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer will use about 45% less water and 25% less energy compared to models that meet the federal minimum standards.
Top-freezer refrigerators that have earned the ENERGY STAR use less energy than a 60-watt light bulb!
If every clothes washer, dishwasher and refrigerator purchased in the United States this year were ENERGY STAR certified, we would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from nearly 270,000 cars!
The financial savings are so significant, they amount to a gift all on their own.
The typical household spends about $2,000 a year on energy bills. With ENERGY STAR, you can save about 30%, or about $575.
Over the lifetime of ENERGY STAR products, a household can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 77,000 lbs and save more than $8,700 in energy costs. Just one household!
I’m proof that these choices make a difference. A few years ago I switched to the ENERGY STAR qualified LED light strings similar to those featured in the guide. These qualified light strings use 75% less electricity than conventional incandescent light strings.
As much as I love the energy and money savings, I particularly like that the bulbs are very durable and don’t break the way the little incandescents used to. Plus, ENERGY STAR LED light strings are cool to the touch, which reduces the risk of fire.
The lights are available in a variety of colors, shapes, and lengths. I’m partial to the multi-colored strings, but I noticed that my city’s downtown area has wrapped all the trees in our shopping district with the cool white ones.
Another feature of the ENERGY STAR holiday gift guide is that it makes it easy for shoppers to find rebates when they’re available. All you need to do is click on “FIND REBATES” and plug in your zip code. Whatever rebates are available in your area for the product you’re buying will pop up. (Here’s how I got $200 in rebates when I bought a new ENERGY STAR refrigerator.)
Santa, if you’re shopping for a new set of speakers for me (hint, hint), PLEASE make sure you check out ENERGY STAR’s partner deals. They’ll save you a bundle buying, and me a bundle when I start bingeing on my favorite holiday carols.
You can even download a cute little holiday gift tag to use when you wrap my gift.
Whatever you buy, make sure the product label includes the ENERGY STAR imprimatur. Many manufacturers claim their goods are energy efficient, but only those that have met ENERGY STAR’s standards for quality as well as energy efficiency display the logo.
12 Days of an ENERGY STAR Christmas
Over on Facebook and Twitter, we’ll be featuring one energy-efficient gift category every day for 12 days. Please stop by and wish us a merry Ho Ho Ho!
And if you buy something from the ENERGY STAR holiday gift guide, do let us know.
NOTE: Partners enable us to bring you the expert content you need to live the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own. But of course, we only partner with those whose mission we support 100%! Happy holidays!!
