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Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Appliances
Appliance manufacturers must produce products that either meet minimum federal energy efficiency standards, or that consume no more than the amount of energy than federal standards allow.
The U.S. Congress established minimum energy efficiency standards for many major appliances through:
- Part B of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)
- Public Law 94-163, as amended by the National Energy Conservation Policy Act
- Public Law 95-619, by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act
- Public Law 100-12, by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Amendments of 1988
- Public Law 100-357
- The Energy Policy Act of 1992
- Public Law 102-486.
These standards do not affect the marketing of products manufactured before the standards went into effect. Any products already made and in stock can be sold.
Appliances and other products covered by these standards include:
- Refrigerators
- Freezers
- Room air conditioners
- Clothes dryers
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Kitchen ranges and ovens
- Pool heaters
- Television sets (withdrawn in 1995)
- Water heaters
- Fluorescent lamp ballasts
- Incandescent reflector lamps
Through these laws, Congress also has established schedules for the U.S. Department of Energy to review and revise these standards.
EnergyGuide Label
As a result of these federal laws, the Federal Trade Commission has established the Appliance Labeling Rule, which requires manufacturers of most major home appliances to attach labels that provide an estimate of the product's energy consumption or energy efficiency. These familiar yellow-and-black EnergyGuide labels also show the highest and lowest energy consumption or efficiency estimates of similar appliance models.