Saving energy and money with ENERGY STAR

Whether at home or in business, buying ENERGY STAR® qualified products can help save you and your business money while at the same time, helping to reduce energy consumption.

ENERGY STAR® is an international symbol of energy efficiency that indicates the most energy-efficient equipment available in the market that meets or exceeds minimum energy efficiency specifications. This symbol makes it easy for consumers to identify the equipment that will result in lower operating costs and a reduction in their environmental footprint over conventional models.

The products are third-party certified, based on testing in laboratories recognized

by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A portion of all products are also intermittently tested once on store shelves to ensure that any alterations in manufacturing processes do not affect a product’s performance in meeting ENERGY STAR® requirements.

When shopping for new appliances, be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR® symbol. These appliances are 30 to 50 per cent more efficient than conventional models, and ENERGY STAR® continues to strive to promote greater efficiency and pursue enhanced energy savings. In fact, according to the ENERGY STAR® website (www. energystar.gov), a clothes washer that is ENERGY STAR® certified uses approximately 70 per cent less energy and 75 per cent less water than a typical clothes washer used two decades ago.

If you’re looking to make energy-efficient choices throughout your home, ENERGY STAR® qualified products can be found in a number of product categories, including home appliances, heating, cooling and ventilation, lighting, consumer electronics, office equipment, and windows and doors.

The ENERGY STAR® website provides an excellent resource for homeowners looking to become more energy-conscious and make more environmentally friendly decisions for their homes, outlining energy efficient products as well as providing useful information on energy saving tips.

In Saskatchewan, all ENERGY STAR® qualified furnaces and boilers are exempt from provincial sales tax (PST). Homeowners in the province can participate in the ENERGY STAR® Loan Program, which offers financing at prime plus two per

cent (OAC) until Mar. 31, 2015 through participating SaskEnergy Network members for the purchase and installation of qualifying equipment. The program covers qualifying furnaces, boilers, water heaters, air conditioners or heat recovery ventilators

(HRVs). Other natural gas appliances

purchased and installed in combination with any one of these eligible appliances will also qualify. This program encourages homeowners to make the most energyefficient choice available in order to use less energy and save money on operating costs.

For more information on the ENERGY STAR® Loan Program, visit saskenergy.com or contact a participating SaskEnergy Network Member. A list of ENERGY STAR® qualified products and more information about ENERGY STAR® can be found by visiting www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/products/energystar.

Energy efficiency is good for business

While saving energy and money at home is important, it’s also valuable for businesses to make energy-efficient choices to remain competitive, reduce their environmental footprint and lower operating costs. Making the switch to high-efficiency heating equipment can result in significant energy and cost savings.

Upgrading to high-efficiency commercial boilers can provide ongoing operating savings of up to 40 per cent. These savings can increase if the boilers are also used for domestic hot water heating. High-efficiency natural gas hydronic space heating systems also require less space and provide improved reliability and operating efficiency. High-efficiency equipment, whether boilers, air conditioners, rooftop units, unit heaters or infrared radiant heaters, also increases building comfort levels, reduces maintenance costs, increases the building’s marketability, provides better return on capital and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Until Nov. 30, 2015, incentives are being offered for the purchase and installation of high-efficiency commercial equipment in both new construction and retrofit applications through the Commercial Boiler Program and the Commercial HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) Program. These programs are available through participating SaskEnergy Commercial Network members and are designed to encourage the use of high-efficiency equipment and to help offset the incremental price of purchasing highefficiency equipment over standard models. Eligible equipment includes high-efficiency natural gas condensing boilers, furnaces, unit heaters, infrared radiant heaters, and rooftop units. Incentives are based on the type, size, and number of units installed.

Visit saskenergy.com for more information on the Commercial Boiler Program and the Commercial HVAC Program, including qualifying equipment, or contact a participating Commercial SaskEnergy Network member.