ENERGY CONSERVATION
Energy Star® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the U.S. Department of Energy. It is designed to protect the environment
through energy-efficient products and practices. Each product, building, or home
that is Energy Star® certified is independently certified to use less energy and
cause fewer of the emissions that contribute to climate change. The program
prevented more than 300 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in
2014—providing over $12 billion dollars in benefits to the United States due to
reducing damages from climate change.
There are hundreds of ways to conserve energy. Below are just a few
examples:
■ Minimize phantom loads—“phantom load” refers to the energy that an
appliance or an electronic device consumes when it is not actually turned
on. Seventy-five percent of the electricity used to power home electronics
is consumed while the products are turned off.■ Use more energy-efficient appliances. Energy Star® appliances use
between 10% and 50% less energy and water than their conventional
counterparts.
■ Change to more efficient LED lighting—unlike fluorescent lights, LED
lights do not contain mercury and can be disposed of with the regular
household trash.
■ Change to a programmable HVAC (heating-ventilation air conditioning)
thermostat. A programmable thermostat can save as much as 15% on
heating and cooling costs.