Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corp. said Monday that it had launched an easy-to-use rebate finder tool on three of its brand Web sites -- Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid.
As a manufacturer and marketer of more than 300 Energy Star-qualified major appliances in the United States and Canada, Whirlpool created the tool to help consumers navigate and make the most of the "Cash for Appliances" rebate program.

By entering a local zip code and appliance type, the online tool instantly informs the consumer of the amount of applicable state rebates through the federal program. While rebate terms and eligible products vary greatly, many states offer generous rebates for qualified washers, dishwashers and refrigerators. Additionally, the rebate finder will provide information on rebates from a consumer's local utility company if available.

"Cash for Appliances" is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a Department of Energy program providing nearly $300 million to fund state-run rebate programs for consumer purchases of new Energy Star-qualified appliances.

"The 'Cash for Appliances' program is a great incentive for consumers to purchase new, energy-efficient appliances and retire their energy draining older appliances," said Warwick Stirling, Whirlpool global director of energy and sustainability. "The rebate on the purchase of a new Energy Star-qualified appliance is just the beginning of the savings. Ultimately, it's an investment that will provide monthly savings on utility bills and benefit the environment through reduced energy and water use."

Whirlpool brand leads the industry with the Resource Saver refrigerator, the most energy efficient side-by-side ever. It exceeds federal energy standards by 30 percent and consumes less energy annually than a 60-watt light bulb under continuous operation. According to the Energy Star program, by replacing any refrigerator made before 1993 with a new Energy Star-qualified model, consumers can save up to $65 per year in operating costs.

Energy Star-qualified washers are leaders in energy and water savings. Replacing a traditional top-load washer made before 2000 with a new Energy Star model can save consumers up to $135 per year according to the DOE. Whirlpool Corporation offers both front- and top-load high-efficiency washers. The Whirlpool brand Duet front-load washer (model WFW9700V) uses 74 percent less water and 80 less energy saving up to $1,000 in lifetime water and energy costs. The Maytag Bravos top-load washer can save the consumer up to $900 in lifetime water and energy costs.

Whirlpool has been an Energy Star partner since 1998, most recently earning the Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award four in years in a row (2006-2009). This award is the most prestigious by the Energy Star program and given only to select organizations that have exhibited outstanding, ongoing leadership in their industries.

Visit http://www.whirlpool.com, www.maytag.com or www.kitchenaid.com for more information. For detailed state-by-state information, visit the federal Web site at www.energysavers.gov and click on "state appliance rebate program."

Labels: Energy Star Appliances, whirlpool parts

Labels: Appliance Accessories, Energy Star Appliances

Use the link below to read the entire press release by GE.

GE Press Release

Louisville, Kentucky – GE Consumer & Industrial announced today that it is introducing a program that will provide the next step in home energy cost savings for consumers while helping utility companies better manage the demand for energy during peak energy usage times.

''Now that ENERGY STAR® appliances are recognized by 75 percent of American consumers, the next step is to reshape when energy is being used,'' said Kevin Nolan, Vice President Technology for GE Consumer & Industrial. .............

http://www.geconsumer...._smartappliances.htm/

This particular press release caught our eye because of one statement - 75% of Americans now recognize the phrase Energy Star. This is a far cry from a few years ago and really highlights the awareness that not only the major appliance companies have worked to achieve - but also the media and small little blogs like this one!

The more we cumulatively talk about ways that we can save money while helping conserve energy, the more people will pass along the word. This has been proven time and time again. As a matter of fact, it is the American public that pushes major companies to rethink the way they manufacturer, market and build products.

Hurray to GE and the Utility companies and Hurray to the American consumer. Each day we get one step closer to a greener, more energy efficient America!

Labels: Energy Star Appliances, Green Appliance

The United States could save as much as 245 billion gallons of fresh water annually if everyone used a dishwasher instead of doing the dishes by hand. That's enough to provide drinking and cooking water for every household in America each year.

These facts are some of the findings in the Electrolux WaterSavings Web site (www.electrolux.com/watersavings_us) presented by Electrolux - a global leader in home appliances.

The Web site is based on findings by the U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR program, as well as consumer research by Electrolux, which have determined that it takes less than five gallons of water to do a load of dishes in an Electrolux ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher, while handwashing an equivalent number of dishes requires 27 gallons of water.

This means a household in the United States could save 4,730 gallons annually by using a water-efficient dishwasher, such as the Electrolux.

If all households in the U.S. today that are doing dishes by hand switched to a modern dishwasher, a total of 245 billion gallons would be saved each year. The amount of water saved by one household making the switch would be enough to provide the drinking and cooking water for 2.5 other households.

By making the switch to a dishwasher, residents of the New York City metropolitan area could save 13,863,402,851 gallons each year, enough to fill more than 35,400 Olympic-size swimming pools. The people of the state of New York could conserve enough water annually to fill 67 stadiums the size of the Pasadena Rose Bowl. That's in addition to the estimated 229 hours each year saved by a household using a dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand.

Even switching from a 10-year-old dishwasher to a new one would save the household nearly 30% of the water used.

"Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource in many parts of the world, including the United States, and we all have a responsibility to use this precious resource more carefully," said Henrik Sundström, head of sustainability affairs at the Electrolux Group.

"Everyone can play a role in solving the challenge of water scarcity: consumers, by adopting new technologies and making smart choices in their daily life; policymakers, by encouraging consumers to do so, for instance with legislation and incentive programs that speed up the replacement of inefficient appliances; and industry, by reducing water use and emissions, and equally importantly, developing and offering products that are continuously more efficient and climate smart," Sundström concluded.

Today, 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate clean water to meet their basic daily needs, and 2.6 billion do not have proper sanitation facilities, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) within the UN. The UN warns that by the year 2025, between 2.6 and 3.1 billion people could be living in either water-scarce or water-stressed conditions. This already poses a serious threat to health and welfare, and also to agriculture and industry.

To see how much water could be saved in major cities and countries around the world, visit www.electrolux.com/watersavings.

To learn more about Electrolux appliances, visit www.electroluxappliances.com. To find an Electrolux Repair part, click here.

Electrolux is a global leader in home appliances and appliances for professional use, selling more than 40 million products to customers in 150 countries every year. The company focuses on innovations that are thoughtfully designed, based on extensive consumer insight, to meet the real needs of consumers and professionals. Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and cookers sold under esteemed brands such as Electrolux, AEG-Electrolux, Zanussi, Eureka and Frigidaire. In 2008, Electrolux had net sales of US $15.9 billion and 55,000 employees.

For more information, visit http://www.electrolux.com/press

Labels: Electrolux Parts, Energy Star Appliances

Learning about how a simple light bulb change can save you money and at the same time work towards preserving our earth for future generations.

Switching from the traditional light bulbs in your home (which are referred to as incandescent) to CFLs (Compact Flourescent Lights) is an effective, simple change that everyone in America can do right now.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Coupons

According to EnergyStar.gov - "Making this change will help to use less electricity at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change."

Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’selectric bill. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy (electricity) than incandescent lightbulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost little up front, and provide a quick return on investment.

If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, in oneyear it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes. That would prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of about 800,000 cars.

Many People worry that CFLs contain mercury.

CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 4 milligrams – about the amount that would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in 125 CFLs.

Mercury is an essential part of CFLs; it allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact (not broken) or inuse. Most makers of light bulbs have reduced mercury in their fluorescent lighting products. Thanks to technology advances and a commitment from members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the average mercury content in CFLs has dropped at least 20 percent in the past year.

Some manufacturers have even made further reductions, dropping mercury content to 1.4 – 2.5 milligrams per light bulb.

The time is now to make the switch. The staff and editors at ApplianceLife urge you to do so!

Labels: Energy Star Appliances

We recently featured an article that talked quite a bit about the Energy Star ratings of specific appliance brands and this is a continuation of that article. Two brands GE and Subzero should be given a pat on the back for thier additional efforts in helping our planet stay green.

Top 10 Green Brands according to the ImagePower Green Brands Survey:

• Whole Foods Market
• Wild Oats Markets
• Trader Joe's
• Toyota
• Honda
• Sub-Zero
• Ikea
• Body Shop
• G.E.
• Aveda

Sub-Zero was ranked on the Top 10 list of Green Brands in 2007 by the ImagePower Green Brands Survey. In this independent, 3rd party research, more than 3000 consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom were polled to rate the most ‘green’ brands.

I read a little bit about SubZero's effort on the corporate website. It seems that for Sub-Zero, green is more than just an Energy Star rating. Even the largest refrigeration product they manufacture, the Sub-Zero PRO 48, uses less energy per month than a 100-watt light bulb according to the website.

From being built in the USA, to supporting organic farmers and food artisans, to using renewable energy, to extensive recycling, to sourcing environmentally friendly materials and supplies, to providing living wages to factory workers - Sub-Zero & Wolf have been ‘green’ long before the term even existed.

Subzero featured product: Practically an in-home ice factory, the Sub-Zero 315I Ice Maker holds 26 pounds of ice cubes and can crank out up to 30 pounds of ice a day. The unit is compact, slightly over 15" wide.

The most common part needed for this is the Subzero Water Pump Replacement Part

More on Energy Star Ratings next time!

Labels: Energy Star Appliances, Sub-Zero Parts

We often get asked what the difference is between an energy star washing machine or dishwasher and a normal one. The quick and easy answer is Saved Money. You will save money on a monthly basis. Just how much depends on how many people in your household and how often you wash clothes and wash dishes (as well as take showers and so forth)

ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Here is the official energy star website.

Energy Star Washing Machines

Most washing machines use 40 or more gallons per load. This is an huge number. Not only is it wasteful, but it can get very expensive when you consider how many of these gallons need to be heated and how much energy is needed and paid for to make this work. For washing machine replacement parts -click here.

Energy Star rated washing machines use between 18-25 gallons. These appliances will save you 38-55% on water consumption per load, and depending on how many loads you wash on Hot. It will also reduce the heating bill by nearly half per load.

Energy Star Dishwashers

A typical dishwasher uses 12 gallons per load, all of which is hot water. Energy Star rated dishwashers use 3 gallons less per load, which again not only saves the cost of those three gallons, but also the cost to heat them. An energy star dishwasher will save 25% every time you run it. Click here for Dishwasher Coupons

Water usage is a culprit of high cost in home energy bills. Depending on how many showers people take, and how many people there are in the home to take them as mentioned above, sprinklers, pools and fish tanks, water can become a huge spender, especially when you have to heat it.

Simple actions can make a big difference. If just one in 10 homes in the United States used ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, the change would be like planting 1.7 million new acres of trees.

Some Energy Star Appliance Rebates for you:

The Jenn-Air® brand "Invitation to Inspiration" escalating cash back event offers consumers who purchase select Jenn-Air brand appliances between February 10, 2008 and July 12, 2008 an opportunity to receive up to $1,000 cash back by mail. Jenn-Air Appliance Parts here.

Consumers purchasing 5 select Jenn-Air brand appliances, which may include specific ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerators and dishwashers are eligible to receive $750 cash back by mail. Consumers purchasing 4 select products are eligible to receive $500 cash back, while those purchasing 3 select products are eligible to receive $300 cash back by mail. More Jenn-Air Coupons here

Consumers will receive a bonus $250 cash back by mail when the package purchase includes a select Jenn-Air built-in-refrigerator. Check all Jenn-Air Rebates here.

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The Amana brand "Suite Deal on Stainless" event, running April 13, 2008
through July 26, 2008, offers consumers that purchase select Amana brand
stainless steel kitchen appliance packages up to $300 cash back by mail. Amana Coupons are here.

Consumers can receive $150 cash back for purchasing a package containing 4
select Amana brand stainless steel appliances of which includes an Energy Star
qualified dishwasher. Amana Appliance Parts and Accessories are here.

Consumers purchasing packages containing 3 select Amana
brand stainless steel kitchen appliances are eligible to receive $100 cash back
by mail. As a bonus, consumers will have an opportunity to receive an additional
$50 - $120 cash back when they upgrade the refrigerator within the package to
qualified models. Find more Amana Rebates here.

There is an additional $30 bonus cash back when consumers
upgrade the dishwasher within the package to an eligible Energy Star qualified
model.

Save Money, Time and the Environment!

Labels: Energy Star Appliances