Keep energy efficiency in mind when choosing new appliances APPLIANCES CONSUME a significant portion of the energy used in a typical Ca- nadian home. That means you can save hun- dreds of dollars over the life of an appliance by choosing one of the more efficient models available on the market today. Every appliance you buy should be thought of as having two price tags: the actual purchase price, and the cost of the energy required to operate the appliance. Since the second price tag, the energy costs, can represent hundreds of dollars, it is clearly an important con- sideration when making your deci- sion. All refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, clothes washers, and dryers sold in Canada are tested to determine their energy use. The resulis of these tests must be indicated on an “*Energuide’’ label attached to every new appliance. All results are presented in kilowatt hours (kWh) per month. For the same size appliances with similar features, the lower the Energuite rating, the more effi- cient the appliance. The Energuide rating for a given appliance is an essenti:ul tool for calculating its second price tag. To arrive at the second price tag for a given appliance, simply multiply its Eaerguide rating (kWh/month) by 12 (months). This figure should then be multiplied by the life ex- Ppectancy of the appliance, which is then multiplied by local electricity costs (dollars/kWh). Life expectancies vary from ap- pliance to appliance. Dishwashers usually last about 13 years; clothes washers 14 years; refrigerators 17 years; electric ranges and electric clothes dryers 18 years; and freezers about 2! years. Electricity prices will be indicated on your monthly bill, or you can use the models of electric freezers, Sets 3214 Douglas Street 389-1221 SAVE 20-35% off regular department store prices on all Levolor blinds during our Increditie January Sale. Choose from verticals, micros, minis, and pleated shades - ali available in a large selection of designer colours and fabrics. & ASK ABOUT GUR DRAPERY SPECIALS. : ne BEE = IN HOME CONSULTATION. White fect /Tsweassen revtoheed Malt Semuanmos Malt impact foaer Praca Square 852-0900 536-5559 584-7121 Yascowrer Coqutue Rehm’ 1925 W Brogcnay Ainetree Village + $ Road & Carne 738-8541 464-21% 273.4417 Lacgiey Burassy Mar Varcevee? WiGetter Pala Reval Gat & Mingsaay Manne Deve 4 Pemberton 533-5288 eae ist 984-4407 mis ©, DOW LEAS J TONS national average of 5.5 cents/ kWh. Before setting out to make your purchase, decide what size of ap- pliance you require and what features you want. Then compare the purchase price and second price tag of different models to determine which will cost the least to own and operate in the long run. Apart from your furnace and hot water heater, the refrigerator is probably your home’s biggest energy user. So it makes sense to buy an energy-efficient model. First, however, you should select the right size for your needs. Generally speaking, the larger the refrigerator, the more energy it will use. A refrigerator that’s too big for your needs will waste both money and energy. On the other hand, a Tefrigerator that is too small is in- convenient and may waste energy if overcrowded. Refrigerator manufacturers list the capacity of their units in litres (L) or cubic feet (cu. ft.). The fol- lowing size suggestions refer to the combined capacity of the refrigerator and freezer sections: * for one or two people, con- sider a refrigerator of about 340 L (12 cu. ft.) © for three or four people, con- sider a unit of about 395 to 480 L (14 te 17 cn. ft.} * for each ad add 55 L (2 cu. ft.). The exterior dimensicns of a fefrige