Everything from front load washers and dryers and dish washers that use less water have flooded local appliance and department stores over the past year. Add a green tag that says “Energy Star Rated” and consumers line up to buy these energy saving appliances.

Even though many of these newly designed appliances do boast savings of over $100 a year, unless you actually get a check for all these savings at year end, you’re only seeing a savings of a few dollars a month – and these savings don’t even give you an extra tank of gas. But, you could probably splurge on the McDonald’s dollar menu.

But, is it worth replacing good appliances with new energy efficient ones? No. Your return on investment could take years, no matter what the sales person says or what the energy tag promises.

One particular front load washing machine and matching dryer on a recent commercial promises that if you buy the matching dryer “the money you save with the washing machine will pay for the dryer”. Of course what they don’t say is that it could take a few years for that to happen.

The washing machine uses less water because it relies on steam for the cleaning process, however, it uses twice as much electricity in order to push the steam out! Energy efficient? No really.

After buying new energy efficient appliances, it’s actually quite difficult to figure out whether you’re really saving anything at all. You might be – it’s just hard to tell. A week long visit from your in-laws could offset any savings you would have seen normally, and additional cooking during the holidays won’t show up as savings on your gas or electric bill either!

How should you decide what to do? Buying a new washer and dryer for a total cost of $2000 with a promise of a $180 combined savings on electricity per year can be money wasted unless your only purpose is savings energy and not saving money.

A $2000 investment with annual savings of under $200 could take ten years to break even!! Is this really worth the investment if you are concerned with saving money on fuel bills? Absolutely not. However, if you are simply in the market for updated and more efficient models, only you can decide if the purchase is indeed worth the money you’re spending. Always consider your return on investment and the timeframe.

John Mills is an expert in home improvements. If you want more information about UPVC windows or are searching for a trusted double glazing company please visit Anglian Windows at http://www.anglianhome.co.uk.