Real-world examples of energy-efficient appliances that actually cut bills

Standout examples of energy-efficient appliances in 2025

Let’s start with the fun part: real, concrete examples of energy-efficient appliances that are worth your money right now. These aren’t theoretical gadgets; they’re the kinds of products you’ll actually find at Home Depot, Lowe’s, or your local appliance dealer.

Some of the best examples include:

• ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators with inverter compressors
• Heat pump clothes dryers instead of standard electric resistance dryers
• Induction cooktops and ranges replacing old coil or gas units
• Heat pump water heaters that slash water heating costs
• High-efficiency front-loading washers paired with moisture-sensing dryers
• Variable-speed heat pump HVAC systems with smart thermostats
• LED lighting and ENERGY STAR dishwashers with soil sensors

Each example of a high-efficiency appliance does two things: it cuts energy use and usually improves comfort or convenience. The trick is knowing which swaps give you the biggest payoff.

Kitchen: examples of energy-efficient appliances that run 24/7

The kitchen is where many households quietly burn through energy all day long. Here are some of the best examples of energy-efficient appliances you’ll actually notice on your bill.

High-efficiency refrigerators and freezers

Modern fridges are dramatically more efficient than models from even 10–15 years ago. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a new ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator uses about 20% less energy than standard new models and much less than older units (energy.gov).

Real examples of energy-efficient appliances in this category include:

• Top-freezer or bottom-freezer ENERGY STAR fridges with high-efficiency compressors and better insulation
• Models with inverter (variable-speed) compressors, which ramp up and down instead of turning on and off at full blast

What to look for:

• The yellow EnergyGuide label: compare the estimated yearly kWh use, not just the sticker price.
• ENERGY STAR logo: this is your quick filter for better-than-standard efficiency.

If you’re replacing a 1990s or early-2000s fridge, this single example of an efficient appliance can easily save $100+ per year in electricity in many U.S. homes.

Induction ranges and cooktops

If you cook a lot, an induction range is one of the most interesting examples of energy-efficient appliances you can buy. Instead of heating a coil or a gas flame, induction uses a magnetic field to heat the pan directly.

Why this matters:

• Higher efficiency: Induction cooking is typically around 85–90% efficient, compared with about 74% for standard electric and 40% or less for gas, according to data cited by the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Less waste heat: Your kitchen stays cooler, which indirectly reduces air conditioning load in summer.

Real examples include mid-range induction ranges from mainstream brands that now cost a fraction of what early models did. If you’re moving off gas, this is a powerful example of an appliance that cuts both energy waste and indoor air pollution.

ENERGY STAR dishwashers with soil sensors

Modern dishwashers are a classic example of how smarter design saves energy and water at the same time. ENERGY STAR dishwashers use advanced jets, efficient motors, and soil sensors that adjust the cycle length and water temperature based on how dirty your dishes actually are.

According to ENERGY STAR, certified dishwashers can use 12% less energy and 30% less water than non-certified models (energystar.gov).

Examples include:

• Full-size dishwashers with auto or sensor cycles
• Models with heat pump or heat exchanger drying instead of energy-hungry electric heating elements

If you hand-wash dishes under hot running water, switching to a modern dishwasher can actually reduce both energy and water use—one of the most counterintuitive but powerful examples of energy-efficient appliances in daily life.

Laundry: examples of energy-efficient appliances that shrink your utility bill

If you want a clear example of an appliance upgrade that pays off, look at your washer and dryer. Laundry is where technology has quietly leapt ahead.

High-efficiency front-loading washers

Front-loading washers (and some high-efficiency top-loaders) use less water, spin faster, and need less hot water overall. That means less energy to heat water and less energy to dry clothes.

According to ENERGY STAR, certified clothes washers use about 25% less energy and 33% less water than standard models (energystar.gov).

Real examples of energy-efficient appliances in this category:

• Front-load washers with high spin speeds (faster spin = drier clothes = shorter dryer times)
• Models with cold-water optimized cycles and built-in heaters for when you genuinely need hot water

Heat pump clothes dryers

If you want one standout example of an appliance that most Americans still haven’t tried but probably should, it’s the heat pump dryer.

Instead of blasting your clothes with electric resistance heating and dumping all that heat outside, a heat pump dryer recycles heat in a closed loop. That can cut energy use by up to 28% compared with standard dryers, based on ENERGY STAR data.

Why this is one of the best examples of energy-efficient appliances:

• Uses lower temperatures, which is gentler on fabrics
• Often ventless, useful in apartments or tight spaces
• Slashes one of the biggest single loads in your home: drying clothes

Pairing a high-efficiency washer with a heat pump dryer is a textbook example of stacking efficient appliances for compounding savings.

Hot water and HVAC: big-ticket examples of energy-efficient appliances

If you’re serious about cutting your energy use, the heavy hitters are heating, cooling, and hot water. These aren’t as flashy as a new fridge, but they’re some of the best examples of energy-efficient appliances in terms of raw impact.

Heat pump water heaters

Water heating is often the second-largest energy use in a home, after heating and cooling. A heat pump water heater (HPWH) works like a refrigerator in reverse: it pulls heat from the surrounding air and moves it into the water tank instead of generating heat directly.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters can be up to four times more efficient than conventional electric resistance models (energy.gov).

Real-world advantages:

• Huge reductions in electric water heating costs
• Often eligible for tax credits and rebates under recent U.S. federal and state programs

This is one of the best examples of energy-efficient appliances if your current electric water heater is more than 8–10 years old.

Variable-speed heat pump HVAC systems

Modern air-source heat pumps have become dramatically better in the last decade, especially cold-climate models. They can both heat and cool your home, often replacing a furnace and an air conditioner in one system.

Examples include:

• Ducted variable-speed heat pumps that modulate output instead of cycling on/off
• Ductless mini-split systems for homes without ducts or for room-by-room upgrades

These systems are strong examples of energy-efficient appliances because:

• They move heat instead of generating it, typically delivering 2–3 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity used
• Variable-speed compressors avoid the waste of constant cycling

Paired with a smart thermostat, a modern heat pump system can dramatically cut both heating and cooling costs while improving comfort.

Smart controls and smaller examples of energy-efficient appliances

Not every upgrade has to be a multi-thousand-dollar purchase. Some of the most approachable examples of energy-efficient appliances are smaller devices that fine-tune how and when you use energy.

Smart thermostats

A smart thermostat isn’t technically an appliance, but it’s one of the most effective examples of smart energy control in a typical home. By learning your schedule, using occupancy sensors, and optimizing setbacks, smart thermostats can cut heating and cooling use significantly.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats can save an average of 8% on heating and cooling bills (energystar.gov).

Examples include mainstream models that integrate with your phone, offer geofencing, and provide detailed energy reports. When paired with efficient HVAC equipment, they’re a quiet but powerful example of how software amplifies hardware efficiency.

LED lighting and advanced power strips

Lighting and plug loads are smaller slices of the pie, but they’re still worth tackling.

Real examples of energy-efficient appliances and devices here include:

• LED bulbs replacing incandescent and halogen lamps (about 75–80% less energy for the same light output)
• ENERGY STAR certified light fixtures with integrated LEDs
• Advanced power strips that cut standby power to TVs, game consoles, and office gear

While each device is small, together they form a cluster of examples of energy-efficient appliances and accessories that trim your baseline energy use all day, every day.

How to spot the best examples of energy-efficient appliances in the store

Knowing the categories is helpful, but you still have to pick a specific model. Here’s how to identify the best examples of energy-efficient appliances when you’re shopping.

Focus on:

• ENERGY STAR certification: A fast way to filter out underperformers.
• The yellow EnergyGuide label: Compare estimated yearly energy use and annual operating cost across similar models.
• Right-sizing: Oversized fridges, HVAC systems, or water heaters waste energy even if they’re efficient on paper.
• Useful smart features: Auto modes, occupancy sensors, and load-sensing features (like soil sensors in dishwashers) are real examples of smart efficiency, not just gimmicks.

A practical approach:

• If your budget is limited, prioritize big loads: HVAC, water heating, refrigerators, dryers. These are the most impactful examples of energy-efficient appliances to tackle first.
• Time replacements around failure: when an old unit dies, use it as an opportunity to upgrade to a high-efficiency example instead of grabbing the cheapest thing on sale.

FAQs about examples of energy-efficient appliances

What are some common examples of energy-efficient appliances for a typical home?

Common examples of energy-efficient appliances include ENERGY STAR refrigerators, front-loading clothes washers, heat pump dryers, heat pump water heaters, induction ranges, and high-efficiency dishwashers with soil sensors. Add in a smart thermostat, LED lighting, and an efficient heat pump HVAC system, and you’ve hit most of the big wins.

Which example of an appliance upgrade saves the most energy?

In many U.S. homes, the biggest single example of an energy-saving upgrade is switching to a high-efficiency heat pump HVAC system or heat pump water heater, because heating and hot water are such large loads. For smaller budgets, a heat pump dryer or ENERGY STAR refrigerator can also deliver significant savings.

Are energy-efficient appliances always more expensive?

They often cost more upfront, but not always by a huge margin. Many of the best examples of energy-efficient appliances qualify for rebates and tax credits, which narrow the price gap. Over the life of the appliance, the lower operating costs usually outweigh the higher purchase price, especially for heavy-use items like HVAC, water heaters, and refrigerators.

How can I tell if an older appliance is worth replacing early?

If an appliance is more than 10–15 years old, noisy, or clearly inefficient (think: old fridge in the garage, electric resistance water heater, or a clunky top-load washer), it’s often worth comparing its estimated energy use to modern examples of energy-efficient appliances. If the upgrade can pay for itself in a few years through lower bills—especially when rebates are available—it’s a strong candidate for early replacement.

Do small examples of energy-efficient appliances, like LED bulbs, really matter?

Individually, a single LED bulb won’t transform your bill, but swapping out an entire home’s worth of lighting and plugging entertainment systems into advanced power strips adds up. These smaller examples of energy-efficient appliances and devices are easy wins that trim your baseline usage and complement the bigger upgrades.

If you think of your home as a system instead of a collection of random gadgets, the pattern becomes clear: the best examples of energy-efficient appliances attack your biggest energy uses first, then clean up the smaller ones. Start with the heavy hitters—HVAC, water heating, laundry, refrigeration—and layer in smarter controls and lighting. The result isn’t just a lower bill; it’s a home that feels better to live in.