Energy Star Importance Rises In '10: J.D. Power

By Lisa Johnson -- TWICE, 8/4/2010

Westlake Village, Calif. - Energy Star certification is on the minds of consumers more than ever, according to J.D. Power and Associates' latest majaps satisfaction surveys, and Samsung is reaping the benefits.

 The market research firm released two studies on Wednesday -- the 2010 Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study and the 2010 Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study -- both of which showed increases in the number of consumers who purchased an Energy Star-certified appliance compared with 2008 and 2009.

Dishwashers saw the biggest jump, with 86 percent of consumers taking home an Energy Star-certified model, a 5 percent increase from 2009.

Christina Cooley, real estate and construction industries senior manager at J.D. Power, said that increased awareness of the Energy Star program, along with federal rebate programs, likely played a part in the increases.

"Twenty percent fewer customers reported that they did not know if their appliance was Energy Star certified in 2010 compared to those that purchased their appliance in 2008 or 2009," Cooley added. "Manufacturers and retailers continue to have an opportunity to tout the energy efficiency of the appliances they offer and the specific, tangible benefits tied to energy efficiency, which in turn impact customer satisfaction."

According to J.D. Power, customers who report that their appliance is Energy Star certified are more likely to be more satisfied with their appliance than customers who do not indicate that their appliance is certified.

Samsung took top honors in clothes washers for the second consecutive year, scoring 832 on a 1,000-point scale of consumer satisfaction. It also ranked highest in clothes dryers (833) and refrigerators (803).

Miele ranked highest for dishwashers (806), with Bosch following close behind (801). Wolf won over the competition in the cooktops/ranges/ovens category, with a satisfaction score of 812. Samsung came in second in that category, with a score of 809.

Both studies were fielded between March and April of this year, and were based on responses from consumers who purchased or received the appliances in the previous 24 months.