High Fuel Costs Spur Interest in Energy- and Water-Saving Appliances
Is the rising cost of fuel driving you to make changes in your lifestyle -- and we mean beyond just how far you drive your car? The new place to make changes in energy conservation is inside the home, where appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines draw significant amounts of power.
Is the answer a return to washboards? Perhaps not, as manufacturers are designing increasingly eco-friendly products.
According to a recent survey by Forrester Research, so-called "green" consumers are more brand loyal than other consumers. This revelation isn't lost on appliance manufacturers, who are pushing more eco-friendly products.
Take LG and Whirlpool, for example, which have washing machines that use steam instead of hot water to save more than 70 percent on water and power compared to other units.
Korean customers at electronics stores are coming in asking for devices that save power – something they weren't doing this time last year.
Refrigerators can use up to 30 percent of all power in a home but new models with linear compressors use up to 40 percent less power and make less noise.
The initial higher price tag on these energy-efficient products is outweighed by the savings over the lifetime of the appliance, according to the manufacturers. But maybe the green consumers – who according to Forrester number about 25 million in the U.S. -- are a large enough market to make a difference to the manufacturers. [Source: Reuters]
Boeing's European outpost has achieved a technical feat that, while not expected to revolutionize air travel, at least shows progress in the effort to lower the overall reliance on very pricey (and, you know, scarce) jet fuel. 
