An average household in the U.S. spends $100 per year to power devices while they are off or in standby mode, causing more than 100 billion kilowatt hours and $10 billion in annual energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.  John Jabara, Founder of Savenia Labs, is working to change those numbers.  Savenia Labs, a startup Bethesda Green Business Incubator company, provides independent lab tested energy and environmental impact ratings on popular appliances. 

The lab’s independent ratings allow consumers to make informed choices about saving energy and money when it comes to their electric appliances.  Savenia Labs will officially launch in the fall, and  their blog offers great articles about how to interpret the ‘green’ ratings on national appliance brands, how to shut off ‘vampire appliances’ in your home to save energy, and much, much more.

A Desire to Provide Answers Gives Birth to a Startup
Jabara got the inspiration for Savenia Labs when he and his family returned to Bethesda after living and working in Japan for six years.   Jabara, a former executive who managed operations for a multinational healthcare company, was surprised as he purchased new appliances.  “I thought it was strange that there was no energy usage or environmental impact information on the vast majority of the electrical appliances we use every day.  At the same time the kids were very young, touching everything – and licking some things!  I wondered if that was okay, but couldn’t find any information from the government, manufacturers or retailers.  I decided to start a company to provide some answers, and Savenia Labs was born.”

A Goal to Provide Information That Other Ratings Systems Do Not
Savenia Labs strives to provide more complete information than other ratings systems that provide information about energy efficiency to consumers.  How is Savenia Labs different from Energy Star, a well known group supported by the U.S. Department of Energy?  “Energy Star is a manufacturer self certification system, and people may recall the problems reported earlier in the year by the General Accounting Office and others due to manufacturers submitting false data and insufficient auditing processes in the back end,” says Jabara.  “Savenia Labs actually tests every single product to confirm the results in an independent lab.  We hope to cover the hundreds of product categories not covered by Energy Star to give individuals and businesses the information they need to make more informed decisions.”

Win an Appliance From Savenia Labs Through Facebook and Twitter
As they ramp up to their official launch, Savenia Labs is running a contest to win energy-efficient appliances via Facebook and Twitter. The contest offers a weekly chance to win a microwave, coffee maker or toaster oven tested by Savenia Labs.  The contest is a also a chance to learn more about saving energy and money when you purchase an appliance. To enter the contest, simply visit the Savenia Labs Facebook page.  If you’re more of a Twitter fan, you can tweet @SaveniaLabs and follow them on Twitter.  It’s a fun way to learn about saving our planet and a great way to support the launch of Savenia Labs!  The contest prize will change weekly.


We wish Savenia Labs all the best and thank you for doing so much for people and the planet!  We encourage any reader interested in saving energy to take a look at Savenia Labs’ blog, and enter their contest via their Facebook page or on Twitter.  We’ll also be watching for your official launch in the fall!