It's hard to ignore the trend that we're seeing with homeowners wanting to live greener lifestyles, and this is particularly true for those in the luxury custom home building market.
In addition to helping to reduce your carbon footprint, making the commitment to go green at home can also allow homeowners to reduce energy costs and save on their water bill.
We've talked a little bit about the benefits of installing proper insulation and opting for energy efficient windows. However, the appliances that you choose during the custom home building process can also benefit both your wallet and the planet.
With that being said, here are 4 types of appliances in your home where you may want to consider for the ENERGY STAR certification:
1. Energy efficient refrigerator
While it may come as a surprise to some, a refrigerator is one of the largest consumers of energy in a home. Therefore, when shopping for a refrigerator for your new custom home, it's best to choose one that offers an ENERGY STAR certification.
Today's refrigerators offer so many convenient features, such as hot water dispensers, temperature controlled drawers, and built-in Keurig machines. While these features can be very attractive to homeowners, they also increase energy consumption. If you're green-minded, you're better off to choose a more basic refrigerator that has a freezer on the bottom. The popular side-by-side models are the least energy efficient refrigerators.
2. Eco-friendly washing machine
We've talked about mudroom design trends, but haven't really touched on what to look for in appliances for this space.
If you're like most homeowners, you'll rely heavily on your washing machine, so choosing an ENERGY STAR rated machine can help to keep your energy consumption at bay.
Generally speaking, the best eco-friendly washers are front-loaders that include settings for different cycle choices and load sizes. Not only do they typically use less energy, but they often use less water and require less detergent.
3. ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, older and less efficient dishwasher models can use as much as 10 gallons of water per load! If your goal is to conserve water, it's been estimated that an ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher can save a household as much as 1,300 gallons of water over the dishwasher's lifespan.
Whether you have a large family or do a lot of entertaining, you'll probably be running more dishwasher loads than the average household. Therefore, choosing an energy efficient model will help you to use less water and lower your energy bill, both saving you money.
4. Efficient air purifier
Good air quality not only makes your home a healthier place to be, but can also help to reduce your energy bill. An air purifier is one of the more affordable green-friendly appliances that you can install in your home, and it can save you as much as $200 in energy costs.
So whether you are starting the custom home building process or simply want to make your existing home more energy efficient, these are 4 types of appliances where you'll want to make the splurge for the ENERGY STAR certification.
To learn more about the latest green-friendly trends as they pertain to the custom home building industry, please contact us at Empire Custom Builders. Having successfully completed more than 500 projects in the Central Florida area, we've become very knowledgeable in the latest green building and design trends.
