Some consumers searching out energy-efficient appliances

 (AP file photo)

(AP file photo)

Holiday shopping has everyone checking out price tags for good deals.

Some consumers are making a point of insisting on more climate-friendly purchases.

Appliances including TVs, dishwashers, and refrigerators all have to meet some minimum standard of efficiency set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The top-performing products get special recognition — the blue Energy Star.

That makes sifting through all the choices a little easier for consumers.

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“When the product gets labeled with the energy star the sales do tend to go up,” said Steven Nadell, director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

And it’s not just the consumers. Mays manufacturers like the designation because it can help them stand out from their competitors, Nadell said.

In the 22 years since the Energy Star program began, consumers and businesses have saved $300 billion on utility bills, according to federal estimates.

And the EPA calculates the program has kept 2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent of the annual emissions of more than 420 million cars — out of the environment since 1992.

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