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>> ERIC CURRY: NOW WHAT SET OF CRITERIA DETERMINE ELIGIBILTY
FOR THE ENERGY STAR LABEL?
>> RUSSELL DUNCAN: AN ENERGY STAR LABEL IT BASICALLY DEPENDS
ON THE TYPE OF APPLIANCE. BECAUSE SOME APPLIANCES USE MORE ENERGY
THAN OTHERS. BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY HAVE DESIGNED CRITERIA TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THESE
APPLIANCES USE LESS ENERGY. IN GENERAL I'D SAY 10 TO MAYBE
20% LESS ENERGY FOR THE ENERGY STAR LABELLED APPLIANCES, AND
THERE ARE ALSO OTHER APPLIANCES AND ITEMS AVAILABLE AS ENERGY
STAR THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN OUR REBATE PROGRAM THAT IS
COMING UP IN APRIL.
>> ERIC CURRY: SO A LOT OF FOLKS WONDER WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WASHER OR DRYER I HAVE IN MY
HOME THAT I PURCHASED 15 YEARS AGO VERSUS THE ONES THAT ARE
BEING SOLD IN STORES LIKE JEFFREY APPLIANCE AND HH GREGG
TODAY.
>> RUSSELL DUNCAN: THE APPLIANCES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED SEVERAL
YEARS AGO TEND TO USE MORE ENERGY.
IT COULD BE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IS NOT QUITE AS EFFICIENT.
IT COULD BE THE ELEMENTS, THE ELECTRIC ELEMENTS THAT ARE
HEATING THE WATER MAY BE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SIZE.
SO THE EFFICIENCY HAS INCREASED OVER THE YEARS THROUGH
GOVERNMENT MANDATE AND ALSO THROUGH THE MANUFACTURERS
DECIDING THEY WANT TO HAVE MORE EFFICIENT APPLIANCES.
AN ENERGY STAR REFRIGERATOR TODAY WOULD SAVE CONSIDERABLY
LESS ENERGY THAN, SAY, ONE FOUR, FIVE YEARS AGO, MAYBE EVEN 10
YEARS AGO. MANY OF THESE APPLIANCES HAVE A
LONG LIFETIME, BUT IF THE APPLIANCE WAS MADE AND PURCHASED
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IT'S USING CONSIDERABLY MORE ENERGY THAN A
SIMILAR SIZED REFRIGERATOR OR ENERGY STAR APPLIANCE WOULD USE.
>> ERIC CURRY: IF CONSUMERS WOULD GO INTO EITHER ONE OF YOUR STORES,
WOULD YOU FIND, WOULD THEY FIND APPLIANCES THAT HAVE BEEN
TOTALLY REVAMPED THAN WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND FIVE OR SIX
YEARS AGO?
>> ANDY PITTMAN: OH, YEAH. I MEAN MOST OF THE REFRIGERATORS
TODAY ARE ENERGY STAR. I MEAN, YOU MAY FIND SOME VERY
LOW-END REFRIGERATORS THAT ARE NOT, BUT CONSUMERS TODAY,
THEY WANT THE ENERGY STAR REFRIGERATORS. I MEAN THEY
KNOW ABOUT IT. THEY KNOW THEY ARE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT
AND WILL SAVE THEM MONEY IN THE LONG TIME. CONSUMERS'
APPLIANCES ARE EXPENSIVE AND THEY WANT THESE APPLIANCES TO LAST
FOR A LONG TIME SO THEY ARE BUYING FOR THE LONG HAUL TO
SAVE MONEY OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.