Energy Consumption of Major Household Appliances Shipped in Canada – Trends for 1990–2005

7  SUMMARY OF MAJOR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

7.1   Total Energy Savings

Annual energy consumption for all major household appliances during the study period was significantly reduced, most likely due to the following factors: the significant research and development activities carried out by appliance manufacturers, improvements to the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), the EnerGuide for Equipment program, the ENERGY STAR^® Initiative and various incentives and rebates offered by the federal, provincial and municipal governments and utilities. Figure 7.1 shows the estimated annual energy consumption of major appliances between 1992 and 2005 without these factors as well as how much energy was actually consumed by major appliances during this period.

The gap between the two lines in Figure 7.1 represents incremental annual energy savings. Energy efficiency began to improve almost immediately after the Energy Efficiency Act came into force in 1992, thanks to market forces, such as the regulations expected from the Act and United States regulations.

* For more information, see Table D.41 in Appendix D, "Detailed Tables."

The average annual energy savings for major appliances were estimated to be 2.34 petajoules (PJ) between 1993 and 2005. (No energy savings had been expected in 1992.) This indicates that, on average, major appliances consumed about 2.34 PJ less per year than they would have without the contributing factors.

The largest annual energy savings occurred in 2005, when major appliances consumed about 5.60 PJ less than they would have otherwise. Cumulative energy savings for major appliances are shown in Figure 7.2 and Table D.41 (in Appendix D, "Detailed Tables"). Because the energy saved in any given year accrues over time, cumulative energy savings grew steadily between 1992 and 2005. They reached a total savings of 30.48 PJ (8.47 billion kilowatt hours [kWh]) in 2005 (taking into account the life expectancy factor of the various appliances). That is the equivalent of a year's energy for about 274 000 households. It is estimated that these energy savings resulted in consumers saving approximately $779 million (or $60-$70 2005 dollars per household), calculated at 9.2 cents/kWh.³⁶

Table 7.1 provides an overview of the average annual unit energy consumption for the six major household appliances for six years during the study period. It demonstrates a significant improvement in energy efficiency as evidenced throughout this report.

TABLE 7.1
Average Annual Unit Energy Consumption of All Major Household Appliances, 1990-2005

Appliance	1990	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005
	(kWh/yr)
Refrigerators
Type 3 (16.5–18.4 cu. ft.) Refrigerators	947	635	636	544	461	454
ENERGY STAR Qualified Type 3 (16.5–18.4 cu. ft.) Refrigerators	–	–	–	440	435	408
Total Refrigerators	956	657	646	559	487	469
Total ENERGY STAR Qualified Refrigerators	–	–	–	495	481	469
Freezers
Total Freezers	714	377	383	384	369	386
Dishwashers
Standard Dishwashers	1026	649	640	634	524	396
ENERGY STAR Qualified Dishwashers	–	–	–	534	452	379
Electric Ranges
Self-Cleaning Electric Ranges	727	759	742	741	691	558
Non-Self-Cleaning Electric Ranges	786	780	770	786	732	593
Clothes Washers
Front-Loading Clothes Washers	–	–	–	287	275	219
Top-Loading Clothes Washers	–	–	–	905	827	609
ENERGY STAR Qualified Front-Loading Clothes Washers	–	–	–	302	275	217
ENERGY STAR Qualified Top-Loading Clothes Washers	–	–	–	304	337	317
Total Clothes Washers	1218	930	860	810	708	444
Electric Clothes Dryers
Total Electric Clothes Dryers	1103	887	908	916	914	904

³⁶ Source: Energy Use Data Handbook table, which can be found on the OEE Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/tableshandbook2/res_00_18_e_2.cfm. Note that this is a national average.