Withdrawal of 17 efficiency standards could cost consumers and businesses over $54 billion in increased utility costs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Reports (CR) submitted comment letters in opposition to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposal to withdraw 17 critical appliance efficiency standards. Appliance efficiency standards are an important tool to ensure that the products consumers use will require less water and energy to operate, while maintaining performance and affordability. The withdrawal of these rules would result in increased utility costs for consumers and businesses, while also increasing household pollution and water waste.
By adopting the proposals to eliminate this slate of appliance standards, households and businesses would see utility costs increase by more than $54 billion. DOE claims that eliminating these rules will reduce costs for manufacturers, but their analysis shows that consumer and business utility bills will go up by about $5 for every $1 saved by appliance manufacturers.
“We are disappointed in DOE’s attempt to weaken appliance efficiency standards, which have proven over the past 38 years to provide critical savings for consumers and businesses alike,” says Dylan Jaff, policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “With overwhelming public support for these standards, the message is clear — consumers want greater access to efficient, high quality technology that will help reduce their utility bills. We urge the DOE to withdraw these proposals and continue to enforce existing standards.”
In a March 2025 CR nationally representative survey of 2,291 U.S. adults, Americans expressed overwhelming support for energy efficiency standards. Eighty-seven percent of Americans—including 94% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans—agree that home appliances for sale in the U.S. should be required to meet a minimum level of energy efficiency.
In addition to formal comments, CR submitted a petition on behalf of 22,774 consumers across the country urging the DOE to withdraw its proposal and engage with consumer advocacy organizations to strengthen existing appliance standards so consumers can continue to benefit from the financial savings coming from efficient appliances.
To see the full list of appliances and comments, click here.
Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org