On an EnerGuide label, I'd compare the big kWh number between models of the same type and size. Multiplying it by BC Hydro's Step 1 rate of 11.87 cents per kWh gives a rough cost for a year of use. The ENERGY STAR symbol at the bottom tells you the model is in the efficient end of its class, and nothing more.
An EnerGuide label is the black and white Canadian tag that tells you how many kilowatt hours (kWh) an appliance uses in a year. It also shows where that model sits against similar models, from the least energy to the most. Fridges, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers and electric ranges sold in Canada have to carry one.
Merit Home Furniture, the Vancouver Island retailer I co-own, carries its kitchen and laundry appliances at our Campbell River and Port Alberni stores. Every model compared here comes from those listings. The kWh numbers were checked against Natural Resources Canada's own product list on November 1, 2026.
What is an EnerGuide label?
The EnerGuide label is Natural Resources Canada's rating for appliances, and NRCan lists four things on it. There's the model's annual energy consumption in kWh, and a scale placing it between the most and least efficient models in its class. Then the type and capacity of that class, and the model number.
An ENERGY STAR logo appears at the bottom when the model qualifies. NRCan says that symbol is reserved for the most energy-efficient models in each product class. The label is bilingual, and the law it rests on is printed along its base: the Energy Efficiency Act, S.C. 1992, c. 36. Taking the label off before the first retail sale is an offence.
NRCan releases the labelling scales every year, in January for appliances. So the two ends of the bar on a fridge tag are a snapshot of the models on the market when that scale was set.
Which appliances must carry the EnerGuide label in Canada
The EnerGuide label is mandatory under the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 for the household appliances most kitchens and laundry rooms hold. NRCan's list is below, along with the heating and cooling equipment where the label is voluntary.
| Label | Products, per NRCan |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | Refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers, freezers, clothes washers (washer-dryers included), clothes dryers, dishwashers, electric ranges, cooktops and ovens, miscellaneous refrigeration products such as wine coolers, room and portable air conditioners |
| Voluntary | Central air conditioners, oil, gas and propane furnaces, air-source heat pumps, gas fireplaces, water heaters |
The regulations also set how the label hangs. It has to be an adhesive tag, flap tag or hang tag that's readily visible from the front of the appliance. Microwaves sit on NRCan's regulated list too, but they aren't among the products it names for the label.
Wine coolers came under the rule more recently, and our guide to Silhouette wine coolers and their EnerGuide labels covers the date that applies to them.
EnerGuide for heating and cooling equipment
For a central air conditioner, furnace or heat pump, the EnerGuide label is the maker's choice, while room and portable air conditioners carry the mandatory one. Merit doesn't list heating equipment, so the rest of this guide sticks to the kitchen and laundry.
Verification marks and safety labels
Beside the EnerGuide tag, a regulated appliance carries a verification mark. The regulations say it comes from a certification body, or from a province whose standard matches or beats the federal one. It has to be readily visible on the product. Ontario's Save on Energy program names CSA Group, UL and Intertek among the accredited certifiers.
A safety certification is a separate mark. It says the appliance meets electrical safety standards, and it tells you nothing about the power bill.
How to read an EnerGuide label, using a Whirlpool dryer we list
A real EnerGuide label reads top to bottom in about thirty seconds. This one is posted on our listing for the Whirlpool 27-inch front-load electric dryer, model YWED5720RW.
| Part of the label | What the Whirlpool tag says |
|---|---|
| Energy consumption | 609 kWh per year |
| The bar | Runs from 580 kWh (uses least energy) to 650 kWh (uses most), with a pointer marking this model |
| Similar models compared | Conventional standard dryers |
| Model number | YWED4720R, YWED5220R, YWED5220LR, YWED5720R and YWED6720R, one label for the family |
| Bottom panel | The ENERGY STAR mark, with a note that it meets or exceeds the Government of Canada's high efficiency levels |
Read that way, the dryer sits toward the efficient end of its class, 29 kWh above the left end of the scale and 41 kWh below the right. The pointer is the quick visual check. The 609 is the number to compare and to cost out.
The model numbers matter more than they look. Makers file one rating for a family of models, and NRCan's list shows them with asterisks standing in for the colour code. Our dryer's family is listed as YWED5720R**, at the same 609 kWh as the tag.
The yellow U.S. EnergyGuide label on the same listing
Some of our listings also carry the yellow American EnergyGuide label, and it reads differently. On the Frigidaire 16 cu. ft. upright freezer, the yellow tag estimates $58 a year. It gets there with a national average of 14 cents per kWh, an American figure. NRCan notes the two countries usually use similar test methods, so the kWh is the part to carry across. At BC Hydro's lower Step 1 price, that freezer's 415 kWh comes to $49.26.
EnerGuide vs ENERGY STAR, and what Most Efficient adds
The EnerGuide label gives every model a number. ENERGY STAR is a pass mark printed on top of it. NRCan says ENERGY STAR products typically fall in the top 15 to 30 percent of their class for energy performance.
The catch is the word class. Two Frigidaire freezers on our listings show it. The 15 cu. ft. chest freezer isn't ENERGY STAR, and NRCan lists it at 296 kWh for 14.8 cubic feet. The 16 cu. ft. upright is ENERGY STAR, at 415 kWh for 15.5 cubic feet. The upright is among the efficient models of its class and still uses 119 kWh a year more than the chest.
So the symbol tells you a model is a good one of its kind. The kWh tells you what it costs to run, and when the shape of the appliance is open, the kWh is the better guide.
ENERGY STAR Most Efficient goes a step further. NRCan describes it as a yearly designation for the most efficient ENERGY STAR certified products, in categories that include washers, dryers, dishwashers, fridges and freezers. The Electrolux ELFW7738 front-load washer carries it in ENERGY STAR's own records, which list Canada as a market. NRCan puts that washer at 74 kWh a year.
Turning EnerGuide kWh into dollars at BC Hydro rates
EnerGuide kWh become dollars with one multiplication: the kWh times your price per kWh. BC Hydro's residential tiered rate, Rate Schedule 1101 effective April 1, 2026, charges 11.87 cents per kWh in Step 1. Use above the threshold costs 14.08 cents per kWh. On a two-month bill, Step 1 covers the first 1,350 kWh.
An appliance changes the last kWh on your bill, not the first. If your bills run into Step 2, as they can in a home heated by electricity, the higher price is the honest one to use. The daily basic charge doesn't move either way.
Here's the arithmetic for the Whirlpool dryer: 609 kWh x $0.1187 = $72.29 a year at Step 1. At Step 2 it's 609 x $0.1408 = $85.75. Every Merit model below was worked the same way from its NRCan figure.
| Model (NRCan kWh) | Per year at 11.87 or 14.08 cents |
|---|---|
| Frigidaire FFHT2022A fridge, ENERGY STAR (385) | $45.70 or $54.21 |
| Frigidaire FFTR2021T fridge (430) | $51.04 or $60.54 |
| Whirlpool YWED6150P dryer (640) | $75.97 or $90.11 |
| Midea MLHE31S2BBW heat pump dryer (275) | $32.64 or $38.72 |
| Whirlpool WTW5057L washer (290) | $34.42 or $40.83 |
| Whirlpool WTW6157P washer, ENERGY STAR (260) | $30.86 or $36.61 |
| Electrolux ELFW7738 washer, Most Efficient (74) | $8.78 or $10.42 |
The gaps between similar models are small. The two 20 cu. ft. top-freezer fridges are 45 kWh apart, or $5.34 to $6.34 a year. Over ten years at today's rates, that's about $53 to $63. The two Whirlpool dryers are 31 kWh apart, worth $3.68 to $4.36 a year.
The big gaps come from a different design. Midea's compact heat pump dryer uses 334 kWh less than the YWED5720R, worth $39.65 to $47.03 a year. It also holds 4.4 cubic feet against the Whirlpool's 7.4. Our wine cooler and beverage centre guide runs the same sum for coolers, which land under $40 a year.
Energy-efficient appliances on our listings, with prices
The efficient choice isn't always the dearer one, going by Merit's listings on November 1, 2026. The ENERGY STAR top-freezer fridge costs less than the one that isn't. Prices are before applicable taxes, and "from" means the listing prices other finishes or options higher.
| Listing | Store, price |
|---|---|
| Frigidaire 30 in. top-freezer, 20 cu. ft., ENERGY STAR | Campbell River and Port Alberni, from $1,149.00 |
| Frigidaire 30 in. top-freezer, 20.4 cu. ft., stainless | Port Alberni, $1,699.00 |
| Whirlpool YWED5720RW front-load dryer, ENERGY STAR | Campbell River and Port Alberni, from $1,099.99 |
| Whirlpool 29 in. top-load electric dryer | Campbell River and Port Alberni, from $999.99 |
| Midea 24 in. compact heat pump dryer | Port Alberni, $1,099.99 |
| Whirlpool 6.1 cu. ft. top-load washer, ENERGY STAR | Campbell River and Port Alberni, from $1,099.99 |
| Whirlpool 5.4 cu. ft. top-load washer | Campbell River and Port Alberni, $949.99 |
| Electrolux ELFW7738AA front-load washer, Most Efficient | Port Alberni, $1,399.00 |
On the Whirlpool pair, the ENERGY STAR front loader costs $100 more and saves about $4 a year, so efficiency alone won't pay it back. Merit's heat pump dryer listing is the one that changes the bill, if a smaller drum suits the household.
Every laundry listing sits in our washers and dryers collection, and fridges and freezers in the refrigeration collection.
BC Hydro rebates on ENERGY STAR appliances, fall 2026
BC Hydro has an appliance rebate running now, confirmed on its rebates page on November 1, 2026. Select ENERGY STAR models bought between October 2, 2026 and January 8, 2027 qualify for:
- $75 off an eligible refrigerator
- $50 off an eligible clothes washer
- up to $150 off an eligible clothes dryer
- $100 off a combination washer-dryer, or $200 off a laundry centre
Only models on BC Hydro's lists count. Instant rebates come off at a short list of named chains. Merit isn't one of them, so a purchase from us would go the post-purchase route. That means sending BC Hydro the receipt, and an approved claim becomes a bill credit. The deadline is March 8, 2027, while funding lasts, and BC Hydro decides each claim.
Several of our listings match models on BC Hydro's fall lists. One is the Electrolux ELFW7738 washer above. Another is the Samsung 30 in. top-mount refrigerator, model RT18DG6500, at Port Alberni. The LG WashTower with its heat pump dryer, model WKHC252HBA, is on the laundry centre list and carried at Campbell River. Our listings that match the dryer list, from LG, Samsung and Bosch, are all special orders, and the Midea dryer above isn't on it. Read the BC Hydro product rebates page before counting on a rebate.
Looking up an EnerGuide rating on NRCan's searchable product list
NRCan's searchable product list holds the EnerGuide figure for every regulated model, so you can check one before it's in front of you. This is how I checked each Merit model in this guide.
- Open the list. Go to the NRCan searchable product list and pick the category, such as clothes dryers or refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers, under Regulated products.
- Search part of the model number. Type the first six or eight characters, YWED5720 rather than YWED5720RW. The list files families with asterisks, so the full number can come back empty.
- Read the kWh and the type. Compare only within a type. The dryer list separates conventional from ventless, and the freezer list separates chest from upright.
- Do the sum. Multiply the kWh by 0.1187, or by 0.1408 if your bills reach Step 2.
Where the EnerGuide number can mislead
The EnerGuide kWh is a test result, not a meter reading. NRCan describes it as a rating number from a standard measure or a verified average. How often you run the appliance, and where it sits, will move the real figure up or down.
The scale only compares models within one class, so a pointer near the left end isn't comparable across shapes. The chest and upright freezers above show how far apart two classes can be.
Rates change. BC Hydro set the current prices on April 1, 2026, so a ten-year saving worked out today is an estimate. The sums also leave out the basic charge, the 1.5% deferral account rate rider on every bill, and taxes. Our listings can also change, so the prices above are as read on November 1, 2026.
The EnerGuide rating for homes is a different label
NRCan also runs an EnerGuide Rating System for houses, and it uses a different label. The home label rates a whole house in gigajoules per year after an energy advisor's evaluation, and a lower number means a more efficient home. The old home label used a 0 to 100 scale instead. NRCan says it updated the system to give homeowners more tailored information about their home's energy performance.
NRCan retired the 0 to 100 system on December 31, 2018, so evaluations since then use gigajoules. An old 0 to 100 rating can't be converted, and a new label needs a new evaluation. If you've bought a house that had one, the report belongs to whoever paid for the evaluation. NRCan can only release it to that person, so the seller is the one to ask.
If you're choosing between two appliances of the same type, I'd look up both kWh figures and do the multiplication before deciding the efficient one is worth more money. Sometimes it is, as with the heat pump dryer. Often the gap is a few dollars a year, and the features or the fit should decide it.
Sources for the EnerGuide and BC Hydro figures
- Natural Resources Canada, EnerGuide label, what is on it and which products must carry it, checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, What does the EnerGuide label mean (modified 2025-01-16), checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, EnerGuide label for appliances and room air conditioners (modified 2025-09-19), checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, ENERGY STAR Most Efficient, 2025 products on the Canadian market (modified 2025-10-20), checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, Searchable product list, regulated refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers and clothes dryers, checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, EnerGuide Rating System version 15 (modified 2025-01-16), checked November 2026.
- Justice Laws Website, Energy Efficiency Act (S.C. 1992, c. 36), sections 4 and 27 on label tampering, checked November 2026.
- Justice Laws Website, Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 (SOR/2016-311), labelling and verification mark sections, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Electric Tariff, Rate Schedule 1101 Residential Service Tiered Rate, effective April 1, 2026, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Tiered rate, residential prices and threshold, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Rebates for energy-efficient products, fall 2026 appliance offer, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Fall 2026 eligible ENERGY STAR clothes washers, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Fall 2026 eligible ENERGY STAR refrigerators, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Fall 2026 eligible ENERGY STAR laundry centres, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Fall 2026 eligible ENERGY STAR dryers, checked November 2026.
- BC Hydro, Retail Discounts Program Fall 2026 terms and conditions, checked November 2026.
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), certified residential clothes washers record for Electrolux ELFW7738, checked November 2026.
- Save on Energy (Ontario), A guide to energy-efficiency labels, verification marks and safety labels, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool, EnerGuide label for the YWED5720R dryer family, as posted on our listing, checked November 2026.
- Frigidaire, U.S. EnergyGuide label for the FFUE1626AW upright freezer, as posted on our listing, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's refrigerator, freezer, washer and dryer listings, stores and prices, read November 1, 2026.
Asking about these appliances in Campbell River or Port Alberni
I work in Duncan, and Merit's appliances are carried at two of our other stores. Campbell River is at 1300 A Homewood Road, and Port Alberni is at 2935 Third Avenue. Each listing above names the store that carries it, and a call is the way to ask what's set up and what the delivery terms are.
Bring the model numbers you've looked up, or ask the store to read you the kWh off the tag. Nobody minds if you go home and do the sums first.
Ring our Campbell River store on (250) 286-0868
Ring our Port Alberni store on (250) 724-6644
Listings marked as special orders give (250) 746-5527 as the number to call. Our wine cooler reading, and the appliance guides still to come, sit on Merit's hub for Island appliance buyers.