Appliance Standards Will Save Consumers Millions

Everyday appliances will use less energy and save over $310 million in energy costs, thanks to energy efficiency bills passed in the last two Oregon legislative sessions.

“The appliances in our homes are a major source of energy consumption,” said OSPIRG Advocate Laura Etherton. “The good news is that technology already on the market can significantly cut our energy use, saving consumers money.”

The 2007 Oregon Legislature passed a bill setting efficiency standards for DVD players, commercial refrigerators and other appliances. OSPIRG worked with the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, Environment Oregon and Senator Vicki Walker (Eugene) to set energy efficiency standards for seven appliances. Senate Bill 375, includes standards for CD players, DVD players and recorders, water coolers, hot food holding cabinets (for restaurants and grocery stores), walk-in refrigerators and freezers, and hot tubs.

Energy use is growing, but that’s only part of the problem. From the time a power plant generates power, to the time we turn on the lights, we lose two-thirds of that energy. As we shift to clean, renewable energy sources like solar, wind and biomass, we also need to be reducing our energy use.

Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest and cleanest way to get smart about energy use and cut down on the waste. The new standards make use of the fact that energy-efficiency technologies are available now to reduce the amount of electricity and natural gas needed to power Oregon’s homes and businesses.

The standards passed in 2007 build on those passed in 2005. The 2005 standards will save Oregonians nearly $250 million on their energy bills by 2020, and the standards passed in 2007 will save an additional $63 million by 2030. The Oregon efficiency standards improvements come at the same time that there has been inactivity at the federal level.

Following the prompting of several states throughout the 1970s and 1980s, federal energy efficiency standards were established in 1987 through the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act. In the years since, however, the federal standards program has failed to keep up with technological progress and the development of many energy-saving products, missing the opportunity for energy savings to be attained through updated standards.

“The simple fact is that too much energy is wasted by products that can and should do much better. Inefficient use of electricity and natural gas means consumers spend more on energy bills that they need to,” said Etherton, “By using less energy, efficient appliances cut electric and gas bills for Oregonians.“