RELEASE: Department of Energy’s new appliance efficiency standards will save NC households $97 annually

National energy efficiency standards apply to air conditioners, clothes dryers, refrigerators, water heaters, other everyday appliances

Raleigh, N.C. – A typical household in North Carolina stands to save an average of $97 annually on utility bills over the next two decades, thanks to newly updated national appliance efficiency standards, according to a report released Tuesday by PIRG and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). North Carolina businesses are expected to be a major benefactor to these new standards, and are projected to collectively save an estimated $56.2 million per year on average over the next two decades on energy costs due to the new requirements.

“These updated standards will save consumers money for years to come, just by using more efficient appliances. It’s a clear win for Americans’ wallets.” said Emily Mason, advocate, Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center. “For North Carolina residents and businesses, the prospect of sustained annual utility bill savings is welcome news.”

The savings projections are published by ASAP and PIRG as part of a new policy analysis, Reducing Costs Across America: New Appliance Standards Save Consumers Money in Every State. The analysis looks at the impact of energy efficiency standards that have been updated by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under President Joe Biden.

“Consumers are going to save money year after year thanks to efficiency standards set during the Biden administration,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “Whether you’re replacing a water heater or a clothes dryer, these standards are going to ensure you get a better product that doesn’t leave you with needlessly high utility bills.”

The newly released analysis also shows that the new standards will cut nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide pollution in North Carolina by an average of 210 tons and 122 tons per year respectively, over the next twenty years. Both pollutants are harmful to the human respiratory system and contribute to respiratory conditions, particularly in children, the elderly and those with asthma. 

“The Biden administration’s updated appliance efficiency standards will help North Carolinians live longer, healthier lives,” said Mason.

PIRG has long advocated for more efficient appliances, alongside ASAP, the Consumer Federation of America, Climate Action Campaign and others. Most recently, U.S. PIRG Education Fund and its sister organizations Environment America Research & Policy Center and Environment America, urged the Biden administration to finalize strong and long overdue updates to efficiency standards. 

Strong appliance efficiency standards, alongside other federal actions, will significantly reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions and help the Biden administration meet its goal of cutting climate pollution in half by the end of the decade, relative to 2005 levels.