There are several programs on the market that provide information to consumers about energy efficiency. However, the ENERGY STAR program, a joint effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is likely the best known program.

When consumers see the ENERGY STAR label on a product, they typically assume there will be cost savings over the product’s life cycle compared to a similar product that is not ENERGY STAR-qualified. Are there any other benefits to purchasing an ENERGY STAR-qualified product? What is required for a product to carry the ENERGY STAR label?

What is behind ENERGY STAR?

The requirements for carrying the ENERGY STAR label are significantlly more stringent than they were during the 1990s. In the program’s early days, a manufacturer could self-certify a product and apply for ENERGY STAR. This had two results, one bad, one good. Products that never should have carried the label made it to market. Fortunately this was only a small number of products. The good result is that consumers became aware of the ENERGY STAR program and learned to rely on it.

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