The U.S. Department of Energy announced three new energy efficiency actions, which will result in $1 billion in annual utility bill savings for Americans. The actions include Congressionally-mandated standards for commercial water heaters and dedicated-purpose pool pump motors, as well as proposed standards for residential boilers, designed to increase efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, according to a July 28 news release.
“Today’s announcement reinforces President Biden’s efforts to update and strengthen outdated energy efficiency standards that cut costs for working families and businesses while slashing greenhouse gas emissions,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the release.
The Energy Department anticipates the standards will save American businesses about $149 million per year inn energy costs for commercial water heaters, and approximately $926 million per year on utility bills for dedicated-purpose pool pumps and residential boilers, the release said.
“This administration remains laser-focused on promoting innovation that saves Americans money, and we’ll continue to work with our industry partners to improve consumers’ options and increase the reliability and performance of household appliances and critical commercial and industrial products," Granholm said in the release.
Beginning in 2026, the new standards for commercial water heaters require the use of condensing technology in new models, adding that commercial water heater efficiency standards had not been revised since 2003, the release reported. Additionally, DOE's proposed efficiency standards for consumer boilers, particularly gas-fired hot water boilers, mandate the adoption of modern condensing technology to provide efficiency gains, which is expected to reduce energy costs for American homes by $188 million annually.
The final rule for dedicated-purpose pool pump motors follows California's established efficiency standards, which would lower utility bills by $738 million annually and extend savings to consumers nationwide. DOE is in the process of completing the new standards with the collaboration of industry partners and stakeholders, which will ensure the potential savings are fully achieved and replacement motors match the efficiency of currently available pool pump systems in the market, the release said.
