Blog | ASAP Appliance Standard Awareness Project

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Trump’s showerhead plan is here, but many models already deliver a dense soak

In the midst of a pandemic, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) followed up today on President Trump’s January pledge to get “rid of the restrictors” on showerheads, part of his repeated false complaint that toilets, faucets, and other household fixtures have been ruined by federal efficiency standards.

First-ever pump efficiency standards take effect, but the Trump administration puts additional savings on hold

In January, the first-ever pump efficiency standards in the U.S. took effect. The new standards were negotiated by a broad range of stakeholders back in 2014 and will provide savings in a wide variety of commercial and industrial pump applications.

Trouble Ahead for US Appliance Efficiency Standards

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.

Updated hot tub standard could bring surprisingly big energy savings to states

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.

DOE published four new efficiency standards, bowing to court order

It took a lawsuit, but today the Department of Energy (DOE) published the first new national appliance efficiency standards since 2017. The new standards, finalized under the Obama administration in December 2016 but withheld from official publication by the Trump administration, will cut energy waste for four product categories.

New York to save billions of gallons of water with water-saving standards

New York made a big splash recently by updating water-saving standards for four common plumbing products—faucets, showerheads, toilets, and urinals. On December 6, 2019, Governor Cuomo signed a bill that will reduce water and energy waste, decrease CO2 emissions, and save consumers money on utility bills.

States Step Up on Appliance Standards as the Federal Government Goes Backwards

States took the lead on new appliance efficiency standards during the first half of 2019, helping to counter some of the federal government’s efforts to stall and even reverse energy and water efficiency progress. Legislators in ten states and the District of Columbia filed bills to adopt appliance standards for more than 15 products not covered by national standards.

Obama-era standards are cutting the consumption of two home energy hogs

Even as DOE continues to miss deadlines for updating efficiency standards, consumers are still seeing energy and dollar savings growing due to standards established prior to the current administration. Two new standards that just took effect will add to those savings by significantly reducing the consumption of two home energy hogs: dehumidifiers and furnace fans.

Dehumidifiers

DOE refuses public hearing on a proposal that could gut US appliance standards

The Department of Energy (DOE) has quietly issued a proposal that could seriously undermine US energy efficiency standards for many appliances and products — everything from air conditioners and refrigerators to light bulbs and electric motors. Last month, it proposed a rule that would allow individual manufacturers to secretly opt out of testing requirements.