About
ASAP

Why Efficiency Standards?

When the federal government or states establish appliance and equipment standards, they are setting the bar for minimum energy efficiency of products. This can be done either at the manufacturing, sale, or installation stage. Standards save money for energy users, protect the environment, and boost the economy. They hasten adoption of energy-saving technology in products, often with improved performance. Greater energy efficiency means building fewer new power plants, better air quality, and more available consumer income to be spent on other goods and services.

Benefits of Standards Include:

Saving Energy

• Increased efficiency reduces overall power use as well as peak demand.
• Existing standards will avert the need to build 90 large (300MW) power plants nationally by 2015. The potential savings from new standards are at least as large.

  Saving Money

• More efficient appliances and equipment mean lower energy bills for businesses and consumers.
• Reduced overall demand helps lower power rates for everyone.

  Creating Jobs

• Businesses add jobs to meet increased demand for energy-saving products.
• Consumers spend savings from lower utility bills on other goods and services, thus bolstering the economy.

  Fighting Global Warming

• Improved efficiency reduces carbon emissions. Aside from automobiles, appliances and equipment are the largest users of energy derived from fossil fuels.

  Protecting Public Health

• Air pollution is a byproduct of most power plants, which contributes greatly to public health problems like asthma. When appliances use less energy, smog-causing nitrogen-oxides and particulate matter from fossil fuel-burning power plants are reduced.
• Other pollutants reduced include sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, and mercury, a highly toxic heavy metal