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This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Savings with Energy Star

Release Date: 11/22/2010
Contact Information: Stacy Kika (Media Inquiries Only), kika.stacy@epa.gov, 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – With the help of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, finding the perfect gift that gives more is easy. Energy Star qualified products save energy and money, and with more than 60 product categories to choose from, it is a simple way to help your friends and family give back to the environment.

The energy used in the average house is responsible for twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car. By using products that have earned the Energy Star label, you can cut both your energy bill and your emissions by one-third – saving money and helping to fight climate change.

Home Entertainment
Home entertainment is a popular gift choice for the holidays. You can find the Energy Star label on nearly all entertainment products from TVs and Blu-ray disc players to home-theater-in-a-box. Qualified TVs, for example, use about 40 percent less energy than standard TVs and are available in a wide range of sizes and technologies.

Office Products
Shoppers can also find the Energy Star label on office products like computers, monitors, notebooks, multifunction devices and more. An office fully equipped with Energy Star qualified products can save up to $350 over the lifetime of the products. Energy Star qualified computers and monitors come with the power management enabled to ensure you are saving the most energy and money.

Products that use Energy Star Qualified Battery Chargers
Another great gift idea is any one of the variety of products that use Energy Star qualified battery chargers, such as video game controls, digital cameras, shavers, hand vacuums, power tools, and even cordless lawn mowers. Products that use Energy Star qualified chargers use 35 percent less energy compared to those with conventional chargers. As you replace your old battery chargers, look for opportunities to recycle them because they are commonly accepted in electronics recycling programs.

Other Holiday Saving Tips

Holiday Decorating
Be sure to also look for the Energy Star label on LED decorative light strings to meet your holiday decorating needs. Qualified light strings use 75 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent light strings and are available in a variety of colors, shapes, and lengths. These Energy Star qualified light strings save energy and are more durable, shock-resistant and cooler to the touch.

Recycle Old Electronics
Don’t forget to tell those who are receiving your gifts to recycle their old electronics. Recycling electronics allows the valuable materials in electronics to be used again in new products, saving natural resources. EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling initiative has information on how to safely recycle electronics, including cell phones, computers, and TVs.

Unplug Electronics
With all of these holiday ideas, remember that unplugging electronics once they are charged as well as turning them off when they are not in use will optimize the energy savings. Plugging electronics into a power strip makes this easy — just flip the switch to power everything down at once.

More information on Energy Star products: http://www.energystar.gov/products
More information on Energy Star qualified battery charging systems http://www.energystar.gov/batterychargers
More information on Energy Star labeled stores: http://www.energystar.gov/labeledstores
More information on Plug-In To eCycling: https://www.epa.gov/wastes/partnerships/plugin/index.htm