With warmer weather on the way, air conditioners will soon be set to full blast. That typically would blow out most people’s energy bills, but now more and more Americans are saving energy and money thanks in large part to efficiency standards developed by EERE’s Appliance and Equipment Standards Program.

Today’s air conditioners use 50% less energy than they did in 1990, contributing to the average American household saving around $320 per year on energy bills.

The standards program is saving consumers $63 billion a year while avoiding carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to nearly 50 million automobiles. The program tests, sets and helps enforce minimum efficiency levels on more than 60 U.S. products that are mandated by Congress and benefit American households.

These products cover more than 90% of home energy use, 60% of commercial building energy use, and 30% of industry energy use. They include items such as light bulbs, kitchen appliances, laundry equipment, and heating and cooling systems. By setting and reviewing standards every six years, the program is helping to improve the most popular products used at home and at work.

“This program gets consumers value without sacrificing performance,” said John Cymbalsky, program manager for the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program. “By removing inefficient appliances from the market, it not only saves energy but also improves innovation from the manufacturers by focusing research and development on making products more efficient with more consumer-friendly features and similar performance.”

Since 1990, innovation has increased efficiency in a number of common household appliances:

• Washing machines – 70% less energy
• Dishwashers – more than 40% less energy
• Furnaces – roughly 10% less energy.

The standards program partners with the Federal Trade Commission to make it easier for consumers to identify highly-efficient products by creating yellow EnergyGuide labels for those appliances. It also provides technical support and product verification testing to the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® program.

While more efficient products may cost a little more upfront, they save money over time through lower energy bills. And, as more people upgrade to new appliances, they can expect to save nearly $460 annually by 2030.

The standards program is a pillar of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan announced in 2013 to combat climate change. Since that time, EERE has finalized standards for 21 products, including a record-breaking rule for commercial air conditioners and furnaces in December 2015. These new standards are expected to save businesses $167 billion on their utility bills and reduce carbon pollution by 885 million metric tons – more than any other standard issued to date.

With these standards in place, EERE is now more than three-fourths of the way to achieving the Climate Action Plan’s carbon reduction goal of 3 billion metric tons by 2030 – equivalent to nearly half of the carbon pollution from the entire U.S. energy sector for one year.

Authorized by Congress in 1975, the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program works with manufacturers and other stakeholders to set and periodically update all standards and test procedures. Developing a new test procedure can take up to three years to complete and is an important tool in creating a level playing field for all manufacturers. It also keeps the industry honest by protecting the consumer from inefficient products.

In addition, the standards program, in conjunction with Energy Department General Counsel, actively enforces each standard to ensure compliance. Manufacturers, including importers and private labelers must test, rate, and certify their products prior to distribution for commerce in the United States and are subject to fines for not meeting compliance.

“It means quality and it means value,” said Cymbalsky. “We are making sure that the American consumers who are buying these products are getting what they expect.”

Download the Full Issue