OTTAWA, ON, CANADA, June 04, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Most people want to know what they can do to make their dollar go further, particularly when purchasing household appliances. While most consumers have their eyes on the price tag, it really should be on how much it costs to power those appliances, and that's where ENERGY STAR comes in.
ENERGY STAR is the international symbol of premium energy efficiency. Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) promotes the international ENERGY STAR symbol in Canada and monitors its use. Typically, ENERGY STAR products offer 20 to 30 percent savings on your energy bills. DirectBuy of Ottawa, the leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, sells a wide ride range of ENERGY STAR products to help members save.
"The irony about ENERGY STAR products is the program itself was set up to combat the negative effect that running our appliances was having on our environment," said Lise Girard, owner of DirectBuy of Ottawa. "While most people do want to minimize their carbon footprint, in today's economy, it's just as much about how much you can save by having appliances that run more efficiently."
So, how much can you save by purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances? Here's a small sampling:
Clothes washers - replacing a 10-year-old washing machine with a new ENERGY STAR machine can save a household more than $160 per year.
Dishwashers - ENERGY STAR dishwashers use 41 percent less energy and water than non-ENERGY STAR washers. That translates to more than $30 a year on your utility bill.
Refrigerators - a typical two-door, freezer-on-top refrigerator can cost more than $110 per year to run. Upgrading to ENERGY STAR can knock $30 per year off that, resulting in savings of nearly $400 in just five years.
Home electronics - the average household spends more than $100 per year powering electronics devices in "standby" mode. ENERGY STAR products use less energy when in standby.
LED Lighting - requires 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and lasts 25 times longer. According to Natural Resources Canada, LED lighting can last more than 25,000 hours than its incandescent counterparts or more than 22 years!
In addition to those savings, Canadians who replace their cooling or heating systems with ENERGY STAR systems are eligible for grants up to $5,000 from the federal government. Grant information can be found on the Office of Energy Efficiency Web site at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/.
Canadian residents who replace their heating systems might also be eligible for a Home Renovation Tax Credit for the 2009 tax year. The credit applies to expenditures more than $1,000 and less than $10,000, with the credit being no more than $1,350 per family. For eligibility guidelines, please visit the Home Tax Renovation Credit page on the Canadian Revenue Agency's Web site at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
"As a company that deals specifically in home improvement, we often hear the expression that this project will pay for itself, but that usually means at resale of your home," said Girard. "When it comes to ENERGY STAR products, they literally do pay for themselves over time—without selling your home—and lessen the impact on the environment. That's really an unbeatable combination."
DirectBuy carries a large selection of ENERGY STAR products and appliances at wholesale prices direct from manufacturers or their authorized suppliers. In addition, each DirectBuy club employs product specialists and designers who can help members select the appliance that works best for their home.
Since 1971, DirectBuy clubs have offered members the opportunity to enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products and accessories by buying wholesale, directly from the manufacturer. With locations all across Canada, consumers can enjoy a comfortable, country-club setting, where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.
For more information on a DirectBuy membership, you can visit http://www.directbuycares.com. For more information on ENERGY STAR, go to
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca.
About DirectBuy
For more than 38 years, DirectBuy has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes - from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy offers its members access to more than 500 brand-name manufacturers and authorized suppliers in Canada.
Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy's savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor's Pass to attend an Open House by visiting http://www.directbuy.com or http://www.directbuycares.com.
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