Energy Conservation & Efficiency

Advocates support sunset of ENERGY STAR label for furnaces and air conditioners

A coalition of experts and advocates in building efficiency, electrification, and health came out in support of a proposal to sunset ENERGY STAR labeling for furnaces and air conditioners.

Thanks to improvements in heat pump technology and incentives for heat pumps and other electric technologies in the Inflation Reduction Act, Environment America and PIRG joined a coalition of experts and advocates in building efficiency, electrification, and health in support of a proposal put forward by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to sunset ENERGY STAR labeling for residential furnaces and central air conditioners.

By reserving the ENERGY STAR label for heat pumps and other technologies that support the beneficial electrification of residential space conditioning, EPA can guide consumers and businesses to products that increase efficiency, lower utility bills, reduce air pollution and improve health, reduce global warming pollution, and deliver better performance.

According to research by CLASP cited in the EPA proposal, if every homeowner looking to replace their central air conditioner in the next 10 years bought a heat pump instead, and used it for heating as well as cooling, that alone could cut direct emissions from homes by about 50 million tons, or 15%, annually by 2032. The average home would see a 39% reduction in fossil fuel consumption, and homeowners would save a collective $27 billion on their energy bills.

The comment period on the proposal closes on June 22nd and the groups urged EPA to finalize the proposal expeditiously.

 

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