The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) plan for national appliance standards for 2020 has come into focus, and the picture is not pretty. Hard on the heels of its rollback of light bulb standards in late 2019, the administration last week finalized its re-write of the process used for developing new standards.

As the weather gets frostier, you might consider a dip in a hot tub to warm up. While you’re soaking in that spa, take comfort in the fact that an updated energy standard now covers how much electricity these toasty tubs can consume.