Our washing machine is just about to give out, so I’ve been doing some research on new models. I was duped, like a lot of people, into thinking that Energy Star actually meant that you were saving energy and water. This not really the case.
The cheapest non-efficient model I could find was a Kenmore 200- 3.2 cu. ft. capacity for $263.99. This is probably one of the least energy efficient models. Do you know what the annual cost for water and electricity to run the machine is? $21.85! Wow I feel so bad for contributing to the world’s pollution. Oh wait, I’m not. And that is using the worse case scenario of 38 gallons of water per load.
The stupid thing that Energy Star does is blanketly say that each machine will be used 8 times a week by an average family. That is probably true if you have a midget washer or if you have 17 kids, or are OCD. Eric and I wash roughly 5 loads a week and there is about 10 pounds of clothes per load.
For the Kenmore 3.2 model, this is 163 loads a year. But Energy Star calculates 416 loads a year. Like I said, unless you have 17 kids or are obsessive-compulsive, you probably won’t wash this much.
So say you get a super-efficient washer that only uses 10 gallons per load. Congratulations, you’ve saved $8 bucks per year. Don’t spend that all in one place. If you invest that, in 25 years you may have enough to fill a tank of gas.
Bottom line: Don’t buy in to the “energy efficient” washer myth. Buy a cheap model instead of the $1599 model and thank me later.
Here is the math, in case you are a nerd like me, or want to build your own equations:
The cheapest non-efficient model I could find was a Kenmore 200- 3.2 cu. ft. capacity for $263.99. This is probably one of the least energy efficient models. Do you know what the annual cost for water and electricity to run the machine is? $21.85! Wow I feel so bad for contributing to the world’s pollution. Oh wait, I’m not. And that is using the worse case scenario of 38 gallons of water per load.
The stupid thing that Energy Star does is blanketly say that each machine will be used 8 times a week by an average family. That is probably true if you have a midget washer or if you have 17 kids, or are OCD. Eric and I wash roughly 5 loads a week and there is about 10 pounds of clothes per load.
For the Kenmore 3.2 model, this is 163 loads a year. But Energy Star calculates 416 loads a year. Like I said, unless you have 17 kids or are obsessive-compulsive, you probably won’t wash this much.
So say you get a super-efficient washer that only uses 10 gallons per load. Congratulations, you’ve saved $8 bucks per year. Don’t spend that all in one place. If you invest that, in 25 years you may have enough to fill a tank of gas.
Bottom line: Don’t buy in to the “energy efficient” washer myth. Buy a cheap model instead of the $1599 model and thank me later.
Here is the math, in case you are a nerd like me, or want to build your own equations:
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