Political Stance of Showerheads and Refrigerators
The recent moves by Republicans have expanded the battle over consumer choice into a larger attack on efficiency as an objective. This shift is evident in the deregulation of energy and water-efficiency standards for home goods and appliances, a policy initiated during the Trump administration.
In 2019, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting these standards, promising to safeguard the American people's freedom to choose. The White House fact sheet further promised the order would undo "the left's war on water pressure" and "make America's showers great again."
However, this rollback of efficiency standards is causing concern among a coalition of 13 jurisdictions, including states and cities, who argue that weakening federal standards will increase energy consumption, lead to higher consumer electricity bills, and create a fragmented patchwork of state-level regulations.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for overseeing standards for about 60 categories of appliances and other equipment in homes and businesses. Prior to the Trump administration, the DOE had established stricter efficiency standards for appliances such as gas water heaters, commercial refrigeration equipment, and walk-in coolers. These rules, taken together, were estimated to save the average U.S. household about $576 a year on their bills[3].
The efficiency rules passed under the Biden administration alone would save households $107 each year over the next two decades, according to an estimate from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project[3]. High-efficiency appliances can also save households thousands of dollars on bills over the long term.
The fossil fuel industry and certain industry groups have been promoting the "freedom to choose" narrative for gas appliances. Many Republican politicians see restrictions on gas stoves, refrigerators, and laundry machines as symbols of Democratic interference with people's self-determination.
Notably, the American Gas Association filed a court brief challenging Biden-era DOE efficiency rules on furnaces and water heaters. Republicans have also passed a resolution to repeal a recent energy-efficiency standard for gas-powered tankless water heaters.
However, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act prevents the government from weakening efficiency standards for appliances that have already been set. This means that the standards remain in place only for previously established baseline federal levels effective since around 2020.
The rollback of energy efficiency standards is not without controversy. Voters are broadly supportive of energy-saving policies, with 87% of Americans agreeing that new home appliances should be required to meet a minimum level of efficiency[3]. Efficiency standards also deliver other benefits to consumers, such as improved performance.
As of mid-2025, energy efficiency standards for many home appliances in the U.S. are being rolled back or weakened by the DOE, raising concerns about higher consumer costs and environmental impacts[1][2][4].
References:
[1] Energy News Network. (2021, July 20). Trump-era energy efficiency rollbacks could cost consumers $43 billion over 30 years, report says. Retrieved from https://www.energynews.news/2021/07/20/trump-era-energy-efficiency-rollbacks-could-cost-consumers-43-billion-over-30-years-report-says/
[2] NRDC. (2021, July 20). Trump's energy efficiency rollbacks could cost consumers $43 billion over 30 years. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/experts/jason-walsh/trumps-energy-efficiency-rollbacks-could-cost-consumers-43-billion-over-30-years
[3] Appliance Standards Awareness Project. (n.d.). Appliance Efficiency Standards. Retrieved from https://www.appliancestandards.org/
[4] Union of Concerned Scientists. (2019, December 20). Trump Administration's Energy Efficiency Rollbacks Could Cost Consumers Billions. Retrieved from https://www.ucsusa.org/news/press-release/trump-administrations-energy-efficiency-rollbacks-could-cost-consumers-billions
- The recent rollbacks of energy efficiency standards by the Department of Energy (DOE) have sparked debate, particularly surrounding the impact on consumer costs and environmental consequences.
- In contrast to the DOE's recent moves, the Appliance Standards Awareness Project estimates that energy efficiency rules passed under the Biden administration would save households $107 each year over the next two decades.
- Gizmodo's coverage of policy-and-legislation reveals that 13 jurisdictions argue that weakening federal energy-efficiency standards will increase energy consumption, lead to higher consumer electricity bills, and create a fragmented patchwork of state-level regulations.
- The General News highlights the persisting controversy over energy efficiency standards, as 87% of Americans support the requirement for new home appliances to meet a minimum level of efficiency, according to a survey.
- Environmental-science research suggests that implementing stricter energy efficiency standards could contribute to mitigating climate-change effects by decreasing energy consumption, ultimately leading to a more sustainable future.
