ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. – LG Electronics said its latest line of clothes dryers includes the first gas models to receive Energy Star certification.
Dryers were permitted to contend for Energy Star status for the first time after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved new specifications in May. Qualifying gas, electric and compact dryers will use about 20 percent less energy than next year’s minimum efficiency standards thanks to improved sensors and the use of heat pumps to recirculate hot air.
Last June Whirlpool’s electric WED87HED Duet steam model became the very first clothes dryer to receive Energy Star certification under the new specs.
LG said six of its new gas dryers and eight forthcoming electric dryers have been qualified by the EPA following independent verification by CSA Group, a third-party certification body.
The line will hit retail floors this fall with suggested retails of $799 to $1,699, and will feature LG’s “TrueSteam” and “Sensor Dry” technologies, which minimize wrinkles with gusts of steam and automatically adjust cycle times based on moisture and humidity levels.
“Consistent with our long-standing commitment to introducing some of the most energy efficient home appliances on the planet, LG is proud to lead the way in Energy Star-certified gas dryers,” said Chris Jung, president of LG’s U.S. home appliances unit.
The line also includes electric models featuring the company’s new EcoHybrid heat pump design, which received the EPA’s 2014 Energy Star Emerging Technology Award for their third-party-verified, 50-percent improvement in efficiency compared with conventional electric dryers.
The complete lineup of LG’s Energy Star-certified dryers includes:
Gas dryers: Model numbers DLGX3371W, DLGX3371R, DLGX3371V, DLG3171W, DLGX4271W and DLGX4271V, with suggested retails of $899 to $1,099.
Electric dryers: Model numbers DLEX3370W, DLEX3370R, DLEX3370W, DLE3170W, DLEX4270V and DLEX4270W, with suggested retails of $799 to $999.
EcoHybrid heat pump models include the DLHX4072V and DLHX4072W, with a suggested retail price range of $1,599 to $1,699 before any incentives from electric utilities.
