The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced two Congressionally mandated energy-efficiency actions that will save American households $2.2 billion per year on their utility bills, while significantly cutting energy waste and harmful carbon pollution. The final standards for residential clothes washers and dryers reflect a joint recommendation from a wide range of stakeholders, including the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Consumer Federation of America, and energy-efficiency advocates. Over 30 years, these updated standards are expected to save Americans up to $39 billion on their energy and water bills, while also reducing nearly 71 million metric tons of dangerous carbon dioxide emissions—equivalent to the combined annual emissions of nearly 9 million homes.
“For decades, the DOE’s appliance standards actions for clothes washers and dryers have provided loads of savings for American families while also decreasing harmful carbon emissions,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With strong support from industry leaders and consumer advocates, the DOE will continue to roll out innovative appliance solutions throughout 2024 to lower costs for the American people—continuing the cycle of household savings that are the backbone of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.”
The DOE continues to carry out Congressional direction for energy savings that maintain reliability and performance across household appliances and commercial and industrial equipment. These actions are part of a suite of energy-efficiency standards advanced by the Biden-Harris Administration this term that the DOE projects will together provide nearly $1 trillion in consumer savings over 30 years and save the average family at least $100 a year through lower utility bills. The DOE also estimates that these standards, once finalized, will cumulatively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 billion metric tons or more—an amount roughly equivalent to the emissions of 18 million gas-powered cars, 22 coal-fired power plants, or 10.5 million homes over 30 years. These actions reinforce the trajectory of consumer savings that form a key pillar of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis while lowering costs for American families and businesses.
In September 2023, a broad coalition of appliance manufacturers and advocates for consumer protection, water and energy efficiency, and climate action announced their support for updating several home appliance standards, following on DOE proposals. In 2024, the Administration will continue making rapid progress on finalizing cost-saving standards informed by stakeholder input.
Residential Clothes Washers
The efficiency standards being adopted for residential clothes washers align with recommendations from a diverse set of stakeholders, including manufacturers, the manufacturing trade association, energy, environmental, and consumer advocacy groups, states, and utilities. Compliance will be required from March 1, 2028. The energy savings over 30 years of shipments is 0.7 quadrillion British thermal units, which represents a savings of 3 percent relative to the energy use of products currently on the market. The DOE estimates that the standards would save consumers nearly $18 billion over 30 years of shipments and result in cumulative emission reductions of nearly 14.0 million metric tons of carbon dioxide—an amount roughly equivalent to the combined annual emissions of 1.8 million homes.
Residential Clothes Dryers
The efficiency standards being adopted for residential clothes dryers also align with stakeholder recommendations. Compliance will be required from March 1, 2028. The energy savings over 30 years of shipments is 2.7 quadrillion British thermal units, which represents a savings of 11 percent relative to the energy use of products currently on the market. The DOE estimates that the standards would save consumers over $21 billion over 30 years of shipments and result in cumulative emission reductions of nearly 57 million metric tons of carbon dioxide—an amount roughly equivalent to the combined annual emissions of 7.2 million homes.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
