Compare an efficient appliance against a standard model over its lifetime.
Simple payback divides the up-front cost by the recurring annual benefit to get the number of years before the efficient appliance has paid for itself. Everything after that point is net gain, which the lifetime figures make explicit. Payback is the first screen most buyers apply: a system that pays back inside its warranty period is a very different proposition from one that does not.
Energy Star Savings
Payback (years) = Price premium for the efficient model ÷ annual annual energy saving
Payback (years) = Price premium for the efficient model ÷ annual annual energy saving Simple payback divides the up-front cost by the recurring annual benefit to get the number of years before the efficient appliance has paid for itself. Everything after that point is net gain, which the lifetime figures make explicit.
Payback is the first screen most buyers apply: a system that pays back inside its warranty period is a very different proposition from one that does not.
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Price premium for the efficient model, Annual energy saving, Expected life. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.