The Energy Star program has listed the appliances that qualify for the new label under these categories:

Large Clothes Washers (larger than 2.5 cubic feet)

Refrigerators

Televisions

Heating and Cooling: Central Air Conditioners/Air Source Heat Pumps Furnaces Geothermal Heat Pumps

You can find the lists of individual appliance models at the Energy Star site.

According to appliancemagazine.com, 86% of 2010 dishwasher buyers reported buying an Energy Star certified appliance, for an increase of 5% from 2009 and a 9% increase from 2008.

Satisfaction with appliance performance is strongly influenced by the owner’s perception of the appliance’s water and/or energy efficiency, the study found. Customers who report that their appliance is Energy Star certified are more likely to be more satisfied with their appliance than customers who do not indicate that their appliance is certified.

The Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study measured customer satisfaction with clothes washers and dryers based on performance in six factors:

• ease of use • features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity) • performance and reliability (including energy efficiency, noise level, and how well the appliance functions) • styling and feel • warranty • price

CLOTHES WASHERS: Samsung ranked highest for the second year in [...]

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Average appliance life span in years

Compactors: 6

Dishwashers: 10

Disposers, food waste: 9

Dryers, electric: 12

Dryers, gas: 12

Freezers: 11

Microwave ovens: 9

Ranges, electric: 16

Ranges, gas: 17

Range/oven hoods: 11

Refrigerators: 12

Washers: 11

Water heaters, electric: 13

Water heaters, gas: 11

Air-conditioners, room: 9

Air-conditioners, central: 11

Boilers, gas: 20

Dehumidifiers: 7

Furnaces, gas: 15

Furnaces, oil: 17

Heat pumps: 12

Courtesy of heraldnet.com

Related Reading:

Okay this is just a concept for now, but Russian designer Yuriy Dmitriev’s take on the future of the humble refrigerator is storing food in liquid gel. Dmitriev’s concept is one of 25 semifinalists for this year’s Electrolux Design Lab contest — and he describes it as a “biopolymer gel,” or more specifically a “non-sticky, odorless gel.” You simply plunge whatever you want to keep fresh into the mass of your Bio Robot fridge and it’ll stay where you left it until you come back.

We’re not sure we need bio gel in our Kitchen Contraption future, but we really like the idea for fruit and other items. Click on through to see more of the finalists as many of them are kitchen focused including a “community fridge”.

Via DVICE at Electrolux

The new 42-inch French Door fully flush refrigerator from Jenn-Air belongs to the recently introduced collection of high performance built-in refrigerators that marries seamless design with thoughtful functionality. Other flush refrigerator models include 36-inch bottom-freezer and popular 42- and 48-inch side-by-side door refrigerators. The new JF42NXFXDW is the industry-first 42-inch French door bottom-freezer refrigerator offering the widest interior space available in any fully flush refrigerator currently on the market and bringing the clean, seamless and refined look to your kitchen. One of the important design features is the hidden articulated hinges that allow for minimal gaps, no larger than that of surrounding cabinetry, making the refrigerator virtually disappear in its environment. The completely integrated look of the Jenn-Air refrigerator is all about aesthetics, yet functionality and performance are not sacrificed but further enhanced. Thus, the thinner exterior door provides a flush fit with custom cabinetry for a seamless exterior, while the interior offers even greater usable cubic space than similar flush refrigerators and a faster temperature recovery time after the doors are opened. High performance vacuum insulation panels help maintain energy and keep food fresher, longer. The articulated hinge is equipped [...]

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Units: About 46,000 (1.6 million units were previously recalled March 2009)

Manufacturer: Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa

Hazard: An electrical failure in the relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 23 additional reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 4 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

Description: The recall includes certain Maytag®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side-by-side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner and have the following model and serial number combinations:

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

Sold at: [...]

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This efficient, large capacity double convection oven from Samsung gives 65 litres of cooking space and features two independent compartments allowing you to cook several dishes simultaneously without mixing the flavors. Designed by Jasper Morrison, the BT 65 CD BSTL is quality-built and elegant stainless steel, double convection multifunctional oven with 40°C to 300°C temperature range offering two separate heating elements and two separate fans to distribute heat evenly and quickly for perfect results each and every time. The oven comes with a self-cleaning steam program which removes grease, stains, encrustations and odors in just 25 minutes. This double convection oven can serve as 3-in-1 oven allowing you to cook in one large single space or use upper and lower levels separately. Interesting that all three cooking spaces are separately certified with an ‘A’ grade for energy efficiency.

The convection oven also comes with triple layer CoolTouch door and nonstick interior coated with a special ceramic enamel which makes surface scratch-resistant, non-porous, super hygienic and antibacterial. You can buy this double convection oven for approximately € 1,150. Samsung.

Previously, Twin convection oven Refrigerator by Jasper Morrison

[...]

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With recent projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicating that prices for “food at home”—that’s all the stuff you buy at supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and convenience stores—will rise 2 to 3 percent this year and 2.5 to 3.5 percent in 2010, you might be more inclined to buy a stand-alone freezer, figuring that freezing food that you buy in bulk or cook in big batches might save you some money.

See our September 2009 report on freezers for news on and ratings of the latest models (ratings available to subscribers) and read our free buyer’s guide for freezers and shopping advice for refrigerators. (The photo shows freezer testing in our labs.)

Now’s also a great time to freeze summer produce in your refrigerator’s freezer or stand-alone freezer, whether it’s the bounty from your own garden or fruits and vegetables you pick up or at local farm stands.

Some vegetables aren’t freezer friendly because they become limp and soggy when thawed. The do-not-freeze list [...]

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The stunning De Dietrich DKP837B looks impressive and is cleverly designed. This 60cm wide black refrigerator with bottom freezer offers 315 litre capacity and weighs just 74kg, so you can move it around your kitchen with ease while considering where exactly its sleek black mirror finish gives the best light and shadow play. Or put it in your living room. We seriously think that the only problem you ever have with this ‘A+’ rated bottom freezer refrigerator is how to fit it in your existing decor. You may be forced to get the whole new appliance set, in black that is. The freestanding refrigerator has anti-bacterial interior and brings No Frost technology to avoid the build up of ice inside. Its refrigerator section offers 249 litre net volume, open-door alarm, multilevel neon lighting system, 4 glass shelves, 4 door bins, a door shelf and auto defrost. The 66 litre, 4-star freezer bottom freezer maintains freezing temperature for up to 13 hours in case of power failure. It comes with temperature alarm, SuperFreeze function, 3 drawers and ice tray. And this black refrigerator also has LCD touch control screen, reversible door and is [...]

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As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Obama administration is encouraging the purchase of energy-efficient appliances through an appliance-rebate program that will soon dole out money if you buy Energy Star-qualified models. Appliances that qualify for Energy Star use roughly 10 to 25 percent less energy than the maximum allowed for that category by the U.S. Department of Energy, which runs Energy Star with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Unlike cash for clunkers, you won’t have to turn in your old appliance to get a rebate. But states are expected to have recycling plans for the flood of old appliances the program could unleash. And while the money is coming from Washington, [...]

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