Energy Star Consumer Eslpod Air Agency Products Required

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; the U.S. agency responsible for protecting the natural environment) and the Department of Energy created the Energy Star "designation" (special name and recognition that something meets certain standards) to make it easy for consumers to recognize products with high "energy efficiency" (minimal use of energy). The Energy Star is a "voluntary" program, meaning that manufacturers can choose whether they want to apply for the Energy Star designation.

Energy Star labels are "affixed" (attached) to many consumer products, including computers and "peripherals" (devices that work with a computer, such as printers and scanners), kitchen "appliances" (machines that perform a specific task in the kitchen, such as toasters and blenders), lighting, office equipment, and more. Products that have the Energy Star "label" (an image on packaging) usually use 20-30% less energy than the amount required by "federal" (national) standards.

The Energy Star program has expanded. Today, even new homes can receive the Energy Star designation if they use at least 15% less energy than typical new homes do. Builders earn this designation by using a lot of "insulation" (materials between walls, above ceilings, and below floors to maintain a constant temperature) and energy efficient HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems.

Many large consumer electronics, such as freezers, furnaces, and televisions, also have an "EnergyGuide" label that indicates how much energy the product uses, as well as an "estimate" (approximate value) of how much the consumer will spend on energy to "operate" (run) the appliance. Unlike the Energy Star designation, the EnergyGuide label is required of all major appliances and equipment.