Energy Department finalizes refrigerator & freezer efficiency standards

In the final days of 2023, the Biden administration announced final energy-saving standards for home refrigerators and freezers. 

Every year, Americans buy about 15 million refrigerators that generally last ten to twenty years, so the cumulative impacts of making these everyday appliances more efficient really adds up. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the updated standards will avert nearly 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants from the use of new models sold over 30 years. That’s the climate equivalent of taking 22 million gas-powered cars off the road for a year. 

“It’s cool that refrigerators and freezers are becoming more efficient,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy. “Fridges meeting these standards will keep our food just as fresh, while also reducing pollution and lowering energy bills. That should be welcome news for everyone.” 

The new standards, which will take effect in February 2029 for most product types and February 2030 for others, will ensure new refrigerators and freezers sold nationwide will use significantly less energy while maintaining today’s latest features and sizes.