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Topics: US News, Environment, Politics
Joe Yates
The Trump administration intends to axe a program that has saved Americans in excess of $500 billion since its creation, according to sources.
If you're a homeowner or tenant in the US, chances are you've come across that iconic blue label you find on your white goods, and while we've all probably been taking it for granted, it's actually been saving you a pretty penny.
It's there to show consumers how energy efficient the home appliance they are after, and having formed back in 1992, these days it's said to save Americans around $40 billion every year.
Which equates to every single American saving $1,176 per year - on the grounds that there are 340 million living in the US.
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The $500 billion figure comes from a federal report dating back to 2023, while the $40 billion comes from the federal legislative director at the US Green Building Council, Ben Evans.
“Energy Star saves consumers and businesses more than $40 billion every year just by giving them clear information about the energy efficiency of products or buildings,” he told The Washington Post. “And it does that at a cost of $32 million. So it is an incredible bang for the buck."
But even still, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to bring Energy Star to an end, at least according to three sources of the newspaper.
Evans has described the government's alleged intentions as being 'incredibly shortsighted' if it was to go ahead, suggesting it would even be undermining with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ambition to save taxpayers money.
The Post's sources, who all wished to remain anonymous, leaked to the outlet that a company-wide meeting of the EPA's Office of Atmospheric Protection, saw officials from the Trump administration inform them that the office was to close and Energy Star would be axed.
Some of energy saving standards brought in by Energy Star to save Americans money were that construction workers are able to claim a $2,500 federal tax credit for building homes.
Although it is unclear as to what will happen with these tax credits, as well as the federal tax credits homeowners can claim back on energy efficient upgrades.
The 2023 federal report claimed that Energy Star has prevented around four billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere, which roughly equates to taking more than 933 million cars off the roads of America annually - and we're talking gas motors, not electric.