AHAM's Blog

It's AHAM's 45th Anniversary!

2012 marks AHAM’s 45^th anniversary— and a lot has changed since 1967!  In 45 years, the appliance industry has grown to a $30 billion industry, shipping more than 200 million home appliances per year!   Watch Leading the Way a retrospective on our proud history and how AHAM will lead into the future.

 

 

1967 was also the year that the Amana Radarange, the first major introduction of a microwave oven, went on sale for sale for $495, or about $2,000 in today’s dollars. The House Beautiful and Retro Renovation have slideshows of typical American kitchens from the 1960s.  Talk about Memory Lane!

Here are some other 1967 stats thanks to these two web sites (here and here)! 

How much things cost in 1967
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 2.78%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 905
Average Cost of new house $14,250.00
Average Income per year $7,300.00
Average Monthly Rent $125.00
Gas per Gallon 33 cents
Average Cost of a new car $2,750.00
Movie Ticket $1.25
The Federal Minimum Wage is increased to $1.40 an hour

Headlines from 1967

• Jimmy Hoffa begins an 8 year prison term for defrauding the union and jury tampering
• The 25th Amendment to the constitution is ratified which deals with succession to the Presidency
• Thurgood Marshall becomes the first black justice on the Supreme Court.
• Muhammad Ali is stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into US army
• President Johnson asks for a 6 percent increase on taxes to support the Vietnam War
• Ten of thousands of Vietnam War protesters march in Washington, D.C.
• World’s First Heart Transplant operation in South Africa by Dr. Christiaan N Barnard
• The Concorde is seen for the first time in public.
• The first ATM ( Automatic Teller Machine ) is put into service in Barclays Bank in London

The Home of the Future…from 1957

What images are conjured up when you envision the “Home of the Future?”   Nowadays, you might think of a kitchen equipped with modern-looking smart appliances that can be controlled from your smart phone.  If so, you would be correct because those technologies are currently being developed and will not only save you time and effort in the kitchen, but help to lower your utility bills with increased energy efficiency.

However, six decades ago, the “Home of the Future” was envisioned very differently.  At Disneyland in Anaheim California, the Monsanto Home of the Future became a major attraction in 1957 that showcased what a typical American home would be like in 1986. Some things, such as microwaves and dishwashers, would become ubiquitous. However, some parts of this futuristic kitchen never came to pass and now seem kitschy by today’s standards, such as all-plastic dinnerware, using the dishwasher to store the dishes, and replacing the refrigerator/freezer with hidden “cold zones” for “irradiated food.”

This website features more information about the Monsanto Home of the Future and includes a fun 8-minute film from the late 1950s of a housewife daydreaming about living there. You can see more pictures of the Home of the Future here.  

Or watch here:

 

What do you think of this Monsanto Home of the Future?    What do you hope the Home of the Future will look like?    Tell us!

Appliances Need Routine Maintenance, Too

Appliances, even small ones, are an investment and need to be properly maintained just like an automobile. Failure to do so can shorten the lifespan of the appliance and it can become a serious safety issue.

According to a recent article on FoxNews.com, coffee machines should be cleaned regularly. “’It’s just like a car. Just because you have a $100,000 Mercedes doesn’t mean you don’t have to change the oil and check the brakes and tires,’ says Scott Kopin, president of the National Appliance Service Association. For espresso machines, Kopin recommends for daily use, clean out all removable parts every day and run a plain-water rinse cycle (e.g., without coffee) to push hot water through all the valves to flush out residue.”

Additionally, it is important to remember to properly maintain your clothes dryer to maintain performance and enhance safety.  AHAM recommends the following:

• Be sure you can feel air flowing out of the vent to the outdoors when the air is on
• Inspect the venting system behind the dryer and replace any pieces that are damaged or crushed
• Clean the lint filter after each load
• Periodically clean the back of the dyer where lint can be trapped

These tips and others can be found in AHAM’s clothes dryer safety brochure, which you may order by clicking here. There is no charge for orders of less than 250 copies, and a nominal shipping charge for larger orders.

AHAM 6 Increase by 1.2 Percent from One Year Ago

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reports that shipments of the “AHAM 6” major appliances in the U.S. “…increased in September for the first time since March, rising 1.2 percent from a year earlier.” The AHAM 6 includes clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens and ranges. During the month of September, refrigerators and freezers climbed from 1,080,800 to 1,166,800 shipments – a 7.9 percent from September 2010 while shipments of ranges, ovens and microwaves increased 3.10 percent, from 1,608,000 to 1,657,000.

If you would like to receive monthly factory shipment reports, visit the AHAM Store to purchase a one-year subscription. Each monthly report includes the number of shipments for cooking (ranges and ovens), home laundry (washers and dryers), kitchen clean up (dishwashers, disposals and compactors), food preservation (refrigerators and freezers) and home comfort appliances (room air conditioners and dehumidifiers). Subscriptions are based on the calendar year.

Additionally, AHAM has a five-year data series available, which includes factory shipment report for the current year as well as from 2007-2010.

New Appliances Now More Efficient Than Ever

For most consumers, when it comes to replacing appliances, one of their primary concerns is how much it will cost to operate them.  Over the past several decades, appliance manufacturers have developed technologies that have drastically reduced appliance energy consumption, which has resulted in lower electricity bills for consumers.  For example, in 1991, an average dishwasher consumed 2.67 kilowatt hours (kWh) per cycle and in 2010, the average consumption for a dishwasher is 1.37 kWh – a 45 percent decrease.  In 1990, a typical household refrigerator consumed 916 kWh per year, and by 2010 that had decreased to 462 kWh per year – that’s nearly a 50 percent decrease!    Based on the national average electricity prices, that means replacing a refrigerator from 1990 with a new unit of average efficiency will save your household over $100 per year!

Purchasing an ENERGY STAR unit will save even more energy and utility costs.   Use the ENERGY STAR calculator to determine how much money you will save by replacing your refrigerator.   Also, look at the rebate calculator to see what is available in your zip code.    These rebates can help offset the initial purchase price of a new unit.   There may even be a bounty available in your area for turning in an older working unit.    See AHAM’s database of verified refrigerators to check on the energy usage of the latest models.

A recent article from NewJersey.com provides a good overview of the ENERGY STAR program and how you can cut your utility bills when you make your next appliance purchase.

Search and Compare Appliance Ratings with AHAM

Visit AHAM’s new searchable directories of verified products to find the refrigerator, dehumidifier, room air conditioner and room air cleaner that meets your needs.   Search and compare appliances that are listed in AHAM’s Verification Programs to find models that have undergone performance and energy testing.    AHAM’s Verification Programs validate the energy ratings made by manufacturers through random testing conducted by an independent laboratory.   Product directories for clothes washers and dishwashers will be available soon. 

 

Upgrade to Energy Efficient Appliances on Earth Day

Today is Earth Day! 

Many people find Earth Day to be a great time to start incorporating more environmentally friendly practices into their everyday life.  Upgrading your appliances to new, more efficient models can make a great impact in how much water and energy you use each day.  Manufacturers have made great progress in reducing the environmental impact of appliances.  Visit www.ENERGYSTAR.gov to find ENERGY STAR rated appliances, and look for special rebates in your area.  Some large appliances that are ENERGY STAR qualified, like clothes washers, dishwashers and refrigerators, use 10-30% less energy than average models. 

Click here to read more easy tips for energy savings!  Changing the settings on your appliances to the eco-option will use less water and energy and is as easy as pushing a button. 

If you are looking for a place to recycle your old appliances, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.  They will help you find a place nearby to recycle these products properly.

Leave a comment below and tell us what you are doing to celebrate Earth Day!

AHAM President Testifies Before Senate on Consensus Appliance Efficiency Agreement

AHAM President, Joseph M. McGuire, testified yesterday before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in support of legislation to enact the appliance efficiency standards portion of a landmark consensus agreement among appliance manufacturers, efficiency and consumer advocates and state energy officials.  The bill, Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act of 2011 (S. 398) would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to improve energy efficiency of refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers and room air conditioners. 

AHAM's testimony highlighted several ways the agreement will save energy and increase our energy independence:

• improve product energy efficiency saving more than 9 Quads of energy over 30 years
• save consumers billions of dollars in reduced energy bills
• require clothes washers and dishwashers to use nearly 5 trillion less gallons of water over 30 years
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 550 million metric tons of CO2

To read AHAM’s full written testimony, click here.  To view the webcast of the event, click here.  

 

Industry and Advocacy Groups Agree on New Efficiency Standards for Home Appliances

Home appliance manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates announced a major agreement offering major efficiency advancements for refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers and room air conditioners.  The deal could save consumers BILLIONS of dollars on energy bills and reduce global warming emissions for decades to come!

The major energy-saving deal was announced today by AHAM, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and a nationwide coalition of energy and water efficiency supporters  who have called for new national minimum efficiency standards, production tax credits for super-efficient appliances and inclusion of “smart grid” readiness as a feature of future ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.

Based on Department of Energy (DOE) analysis, the recommended standards and tax credits will save more than 9 quads of energy over 30 years, or roughly enough to meet the total energy needs of 40 percent of American homes for one year.  The recommended water efficiency standards and tax credits for clothes washers and dishwashers will save about 5 trillion gallons over 30 years.  Global warming CO2 will be reduced by 550 million metric tons over the same time period, without considering the emissions reductions from smart appliances.  These reductions are equivalent to taking 100 million of today’s typical cars off the road for a year.

The official announcement along with more details of the agreement, including the proposed new minimum efficiency standards, is available on the AHAM website.

For some additional reading: NRDC blogger Lane Burt discussed the potential impact this agreement could have on appliance energy savings today on NRDC's Switchboard - read it here.  The Environmental Leader and Climate Wire also covered the news.

Michigan Utility Wants Residents to Recycle

One utility company in Michigan has come up with a creative incentive to urge people to recycle their old refrigerators and purchase new, more energy efficient models.  ComEd has turned the old refrigerators into an art exhibit, which is on display on Michigan's Magnificent Mile. 

According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, "The utility company is urging people to stop using refrigerators built before 1993, to replace them with newer, more energy-efficient models. As an incentive, ComEd will pick up and haul off working old refrigerators for free -- and write you a $25 check."

The Sun-Times also has a gallery of all of ComEd's decorated refrigerators.  Which one is your favorite?