What is ENERGY STAR?

You see ENERGY STAR® Certified thrown around on all types of products, but do you know what it means? ENERGY STAR certified products save you energy in the simplest form, but we’re here to dive deeper.

ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information on products. The EPA ensures that our products, labeled Energy Star, are independently certified to deliver performance efficiency and savings.

An average of 800,000 ENERGY STAR products were sold in 2018, amounting to more than 6 billion products sold since 1992. An estimated 190 million refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers are currently in the United States, and more than 68 million are over ten years old. These old appliances are costing consumers $5.5 billion a year in energy costs. By replacing your old appliances, you can save more than $200 over the 12-year lifetime of the product (on average).

Element’s ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators are 10% less measured energy use than the minimum federal efficiency standards.

ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators use less energy and help reduce the impact on our environment. If all fridges in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR certified, 9 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented – equal to the emissions from more than 870,000 vehicles.

Here are some tips to reduce the amount of energy your fridge uses:

1. Set the appropriate temp – you should keep the temp between 35 – 38 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Place your fridge in a cool place – try to keep the unit out of direct sunlight from a window and away from heat sources

3. Allow circulation behind the fridge – leave a few inches between the wall and the unit

4. Check the door seals – make sure your seals are tight and replace them if they aren’t

5. Keep the door closed – minimize the amount of time your door is open

Little steps can go a long way in conserving energy and protecting our future. To learn more about Element's sustainability efforts, visit our Sustainability Page. We continuously strive to improve our sustainable business practices not because it is expected, but because we understand the impact our actions have on our future consumers, customers, communities, and environment.

We hope this helped you understand what ENERGY STAR certified means and that you’ll take a look at our ENERGY STAR certified Element refrigerators and freezers when you’re ready to replace your current appliances!