Understanding and Using ENERGUIDE Labels.
Once you have bought an appliance, you'll continue to pay every time you use it, and in busy houses with mountains of laundry and piles of dirty dishes, energy costs can really add up. That’s why, in addition to comparing price tags, you should also compare EnerGuide ratings of appliances to find the best energy-saving deals.
The EnerGuide label reports annual energy consumption figures in kilowatt-hours (kWh/yr) for electric appliances, so you can calculate how much you will pay to run an appliance once you plug it in.
How to Read the EnerGuide label
The large number is the appliance’s estimated annual energy consumption, measured in kiloWatt hours (kWh) per year.
The shaded bar scale displays the energy consumption range for similar appliance models. The figure at the left end indicates the lowest consumption rating; the figure on the right indicates the highest.
The arrow just above the bar scale shows where the appliance ranks relative to similar models.
To calculate the annual cost to run the appliance use this formula:
KWh/year X $ 0.12
(February 2009 cost of electricity estimate)
The item at the right would cost about $70.00 a year in new, well maintained condition.
The ENERGY STAR symbol only appears on the EnerGuide labels of appliances that achieve premium levels of energy efficiency.
Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products. For more information visit Natural Resources Canada.
Thunder Bay Hydro has been awarded the coveted Energy Star Utility of the Year designation for 2008.
This page last updated 2009-09-30.
