We’re well on our way in our search for a “new to us” home, and one thing is becoming rather apparent. Since we’re looking mostly at foreclosures, or properties somewhere along in that process, we are going to need new appliances (oof). We already own our own washer and dryer, but everything else we’re going to have to buy. So, I’ve been doing a little preliminary research on the topic.

Did you know that there is actually a website out there (greener choices) that will calculate the energy consumption of two new refrigerator models and compare them for you? It’s amazing. You can then find out how much you can save in energy and how much each model costs over their lifetimes. I’m in awe. But maybe I’m just out of the loop (which is altogether possible). They don’t just do refrigerators either, they do so much more.

I also came across this post of Low Impact Living about appliances, and learned a lot. I didn’t know this, but could have guessed that the refrigerator generally eats up the most electricity, and therefore should be the biggest priority for replacement if it isn’t up to date with the energy standards put forth.  Also, I really liked Jessica’s suggestion about thinking about toilets and shower heads. These are not necessarily in the forefront of people’s minds when thinking of things to replace to become more eco-friendly around the house. I was out shopping with my dad for a new toilet (exciting I know), and the model he was looking at had two flush settings a little flush for going #1 and a big flush for #2. Maybe I’m just easily amused, but I think that’s pretty neato, er, rad. Anyway, I highly recommend the post because it has all kinds of tips from where to shop, to how to figure out what to replace, to how to haggle.

While on my quest for info on energy efficient appliances, I went to the Energy Star website and while I was there the thing that most caught my eye was how to assess one’s energy consumption. I’ve been hearing for the last year or so all about how it’s a great idea to have an energy audit performed on my home, but because I’m cheap a do-it-myselfer, I never paid to much attention to that particular suggestion. However, Energy Star has a tool for a Do-it-yourself energy audit, and all you need is 12 months of utility bills and a few minutes.

I’m pretty excited about the prospect of getting new and pretty + green appliances. I’ve always been on the lower tech end of the green revolution. I tend to reuse things rather than buy new, so this will be quite the exciting change for us. Now I’m just going to have to convince my hubby that it’s worth the up front cost.