Repair or Replace?

Buying more energy efficient cars and appliances is a great thing, but not always the way to go. Yes, I meant to write that, it isn't a typo. Here's why - things take energy to manufacture and ship. Once discarded, they also end up in landfills where they take up space and emit toxins.

Say, for example, that the lifetime of a hybrid car battery is 100,000 miles and that when that battery runs out, it costs close to the original price of the car to replace it, most people will opt for a new car. Once the original car ends up in the dump, all that energy that went into manufacturing that car must be added to the energy it used while in operation, divided by the number of years it was used and you get the annual energy footprint of that car. Now let's say that a SUV, on the other hand, lasts 300,000 miles. Despite its terrible gas mileage, it may come out net equal in energy use to the hybrid car.

Now I am not by any means advocating that people get SUVs and forego hybrids. There are rebate programs for hybrid batteries and those hybrids can also be refitted by the manufacturer and stay on the roads, so stick to the cleaner vehicles whether it's a hybrid or one of the conventional cars that gets high gas mileage. But do think about the lifetime energy that goes into a vehicle before you decide to get a new car after 50,000 miles. 

Appliances also are sometimes better repaired than replaced. Ideal Bite had a great list on what you should repair and what you should replace a couple of months ago which I will excerpt here:

What you should repair:

                     Clothes Dryers - replace pre-1994 models, but as long as you don't overdry, it's more cost-effective to just repair.

                     Ovens - repair, but note for ranges: If you are buying new anyway, go with gas, not electric (it'll cut stove-cooking costs in half).

What you should replace:

                     A/Cs - Energy Star room A/Cs use at least 10% less energy than conventional models.

                     Clothes Washers - if replacing, consider an Energy Star top-loader or front-loader model to cut energy and water use by over 40%.

                     Dishwashers - Energy Star dishwashers use a lot less H2O and at least 41% less energy than the federal minimum standard.

                     Refrigerators - Energy Star-qualified fridges use at least 15% less energy than the current federal standard. And refrigerators with top-mounted freezers use about 20% less energy than side-by-side models.

                     Small Electronics - these aren't Energy Star-certified, and repairing often costs more than 50% of the price for new, so usually it's better just to replace (but be sure to recycle the parts).

                     Water Heaters - Energy Star also doesn't yet certify these, but new gas (not electric) water heaters save major energy; just set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees F or lower. Or go tankless to save 45%-60% on water heating energy.

                     Energy Star At-Home - great tool that helps you find ways to save energy at home.

                     Yelp - search and get user reviews for repair shops in your 'hood.

                     Earth911 - find a local spot to recycle your electronics waste.

                     ARCA, CSG, and JACO - services in a few states will pick up and recycle your old fridge, freezer, and/or A/C (and you might even make some cash).

                     RepairClinic - DIY tips for repairing home appliances.