With more and more people using energy-efficient appliances to help slow down environmental degradation, manufacturers are touting inverter technology as a way to reduce power consumption and conserve valuable but finite resources.

Though most consumers have heard of the word “inverter” in advertisements and point-of-sale materials, they probably do not really know what it means and why it is good for the environment.

Electrolux Philippines explains how inverter technology makes appliances more energy-efficient. The European appliance manufacturer says that compressors using inverter technology in air-conditioners and refrigerators “work like a car accelerator—when the speed…is high, the acceleration is high and when it is low…acceleration is low.”

The variable-speed control of the compressor motor in regulating temperature is more cost-efficient, it says. Compressors of conventional air-conditioners and refrigerators operate at a fixed speed even after the desired temperature has been reached, the company adds. They operate only in full and zero capacity, thus energy consumption is the same while the appliance is in use.

Electrolux says inverter technology also makes air-conditioners and refrigerators operate with less noise.

In the case of washing machines, an inverter motor means greater efficiency, ultra-long life and quicker wash cycles. Noise and vibration levels during washing and spinning are also much lower.

‘EER’

Another term usually associated with new appliances is energy efficiency ratio (EER). Why should consumers be aware of the EER of an air-conditioner or refrigerator?

“The EER is the ratio of the cooling capacity to the power input,” says Electrolux. It is calculated by dividing the cooling capacity in kilojoules (kJ) per hour by the power used in watts.

A 10,000 kJ/hour split-type air-conditioner that consumes 1,000 watts of electricity will have an EER of 10. “The higher the rating is, the more energy-efficient the air-conditioner unit is,” Electrolux says.

This translates into lower electric bills, thus more savings.

If you buy a new air-conditioner, make sure the EER is included in the Energy Guide Level. For air-conditioners in particular, Electrolux says the government requires that the EER be shown on a visible space.

Less water

I asked Electrolux why the price of a front-load washing machine is higher than the top load model with the same capacity. When I bought my washing machine, the price difference was about P3,000.

I am sure there are other consumers who want to know to help them decide what model to get.

Here’s what the appliance manufacturer says:

“Conventional top-load washing machines require enough water to cover all the clothes in its drum. Front-load washing machines need significantly less water because its drum is set horizontally on the machine.”

As the machine runs, the clean water is sprayed on the load, ensuring water circulation and the full use of detergent.

Pleasant surprise

It was a shock, but in a nice way, to find a courier at my doorstep delivering new telephone directories.

Although I still find phone directories useful even in this age of Google, it was a hassle collecting them every year from the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

I am glad PLDT decided to have the directories delivered to clients. After all, they are issued only once a year, so the couriers will have to do the rounds only once. And so much time and effort go into compiling them, it is a pity if they do not get distributed.

The effort will win pogi points from customers, I am sure.

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