Energy Consumption of Major Household Appliances Shipped in Canada, Summary Report –
Trends for 1990–2009

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Chapter 8: Conclusions

For the purposes of this summary report, shipment data for major household appliances (refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, electric ranges, clothes washers and electric clothes dryers) between 1990 and 2009 were analysed. These data represent the majority of shipments to Canadian retailers and builders during this period, and were collected with the co-operation of the Canadian Appliance Manufacturers Association (CAMA).

Between 1990 and 2009, the average annual unit energy consumption (UEC) of most appliances decreased significantly. In fact, a household operating an average set of major appliances purchased in 2009 might expect them to consume roughly half as much as a set purchased in 1990. In addition to reducing energy demand and the associated impacts of electricity generation (such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions), this decrease in energy consumption reduces household expenditures on electricity.

The reduction in average annual UEC ranged from 6 percent (electric clothes dryers) to 81 percent (clothes washers) during the study period. These energy efficiency improvements can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the following:

• research and development carried out by manufacturers;
  
  
• consumer demand for more energy-efficient products;
  
  
• standards that limit the amount of energy that each appliance may consume (minimum energy performance standards [MEPS]);
  
  
• information initiatives such as the EnerGuide for Equipment program and the ENERGY STAR^® Initiative in Canada, which help consumers identify the most energy-efficient products on the market; and
  
  
• various incentives and rebates offered by federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments and utilities.

To illustrate the significance of energy efficiency improvements during this period, this summary report includes quantifications of the energy savings obtained from all shipped appliances in Canada between 1992 and 2009, as follows:

• Clothes washers, refrigerators and dishwashers accounted for the majority of energy savings because of significant improvements in the energy efficiency of these appliances;
  
  
• Freezers accounted for the lowest energy savings because of their low penetration rate and because the available shipment data account for a smaller portion of the market than it does for other appliances (although this changed considerably in 2009 when supplementary data were obtained);
  
  
• Electric clothes dryers and electric ranges also accounted for lower energy savings because of more modest energy efficiency improvements.

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