Reliability metrics are up while Energy Star efforts redoubled
May was a busy month for LG Electronics’s U.S. appliance contingent, which was cited (in a good way) by Consumer Reports and is reprising its participation in the Energy Star program’s “Flip Your Fridge” campaign.
The manufacturer’s front-load washers and gas and electric dryers topped the review publication’s most-reliable lists in each of those categories, while LG’s high-efficiency (HE) WT1701CV top loader was the sole model among its peers to be recommended by the magazine.
The reliability rankings were drawn from fifth-year failure rate estimates gathered from tens of thousands of subscribers, while the top loader recommendation was based on the model’s “impressive cleaning” and TurboWash mode, which shaves 20 minutes off the wash and rinse cycles without impacting performance.
The findings correlate with LG’s top grades for customer satisfaction in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) appliances study, based on interviews with 35,000 consumers.
LG marketing VP Dave VanderWaal said the props from an objective and respected source like Consumer Reports are especially significant, as quality and reliability are the No. 1 buying factors for consumers.
He said LG has also earned more than its fair share of accolades over the years, from Reviewed.com to CES, which also speaks to the company’s heritage of innovation.
“We’re getting credit as an innovation leader,” VanderWaal told TWICE, pointing to LG’s pioneering development of the direct-drive motor that powers its washers — and carries a 10-year warranty.
“We’re there with innovation and reliability,” he said.
Meanwhile, the company is coming back for its third — and possibly last — go ’round with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) “Flip Your Fridge” campaign. The retail promotion encourages consumers to recycle their old refrigerators and replace them with new, more energy-efficient models under its threatened Energy Star ratings program.
For its part, LG is offering discounts through participating national and regional retail partners of up to 38 percent off more than 20 Energy Star-certified premium refrigerator models.
“Flipping your fridge can have a positive impact on not only your wallet but the environment,” said John Riddle, LG Electronics U.S.A.’s home appliances senior VP. “LG is committed to consistently finding ways to marry innovation with energy efficiency like our LG Door-in-Door technology that gives easy access to often-used items and helps prevents cold air loss.”
The promotion, which runs through June 7, includes $1,400 off LG’s French three-door model with the Door-in-Door feature (LFXS30766S); $1,200 off its LFXS29766S French three-door model; $1,500 off the LFXS30766D, in black stainless; and $1,200 off the French three-door LFXS30726S.
Energy Star, a voluntary program that has helped consumers choose energy-efficient appliances, electronics and other products for a quarter of a century, could soon be eliminated under the Trump administration’s proposed federal budget, which calls for steep cuts to the EPA.
VanderWaal, father to singing-songwriting wunderkind Grace VanderWaal, agreed that the program “is important to consumers” in making their purchase decisions, and that “it would be a shame if it went away” — especially given LG’s leadership in the efficiency ratings.
“But I don’t think it will,” he added.
