Lowes wins top Energy Star award

Lowes has been a leader in selling energy-efficient appliances for many years, and has won eight consecutive ENERGY STAR awards from 2003 to 2010, according to a company news release. The awards recognize the retailer’s efforts to educate consumers on energy use, select products that save energy and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Sustained Excellence Award is a sort of sweepstakes ENERGY STAR  honor, given only to companies that have won previous EPA awards.

An Energy Star partner since 2001, Lowe’s  sold enough ENERGY STAR products to save consumers more than $265 million off their energy bills compared with non-ENERGY STAR products, the company estimates.

In 2009, Lowe’s increased the number of ENERGY STAR appliances it offered, for instance, adding dishwashers until its inventory included 90 percent of the ENERGY STAR-rated models. The company increased employee training and signs on ENERGY STAR products,  has partnered  with many  utility companies to host energy efficiency rebate events, and has created an online system to help utility companies simplify rebate promotions.

Lowes isn’t just resting on its Whirlpools, though, the store offers “thousands of products to help consumers save energy and money,” according to a spokesman, as well as a Home Audit Tool and tip sites for homeowners such as Lowes.com/BuildYourSavings and Lowes.com/EfficientHome.

Finally, the stores are helping customers hook-up with state rebates for appliance purchases at  Lowes.com/CashForAppliances.