Do 'Green' Appliances Live Up to Their Billing?†
Energy-Efficient Devices Flood Market, but Some Owners Find Results Fall Short of Promises
Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2007 — Jeanine Van Voorhees wanted to do her part for the environment when she bought a $1,000 energy-saving washing machine. But her clothes came out covered in cat hair and her whites were dingy. She resorted to washing some loads twice.
"I curse that machine every time," says Ms. Van Voorhees, a retired nurse practitioner from North Tonawanda, N.Y.
Amid concerns about energy consumption, Americans are increasingly encouraged to buy energy-efficient appliances. But while some of the latest products can offer significant energy and water savings, they can be double the price — or have kinks that can result in clothes and dishes needing to be washed twice.


