Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Standards

Note: The federal government has imposed and updated appliance efficiency standards through several legislative acts,* and now has standards in place or under development for 30 classes of products. In general, states which had set standards prior to federal action may enforce their own standards until the federal standards take effect. States that had not set standards prior to federal action must use the federal standards. This summary addresses (1) state appliance standards that will be in place until the federal standards take effect and (2) products for which the federal government is not currently developing an efficiency standard. Much of the information in this summary comes from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). Visit the ASAP web site for comprehensive information about appliance standards.

Washington enacted appliance efficiency legislation in 2005, creating minimum efficiency standards for twelve products, all of which have been preempted by federal law. HB 1004, signed in May 2009, added efficiency standards for several more products, which took effect January 1, 2010. These products include:

1. Wine chillers designed and sold for use by an individual
2. Hot water dispensers and mini-tank electric water heaters
3. Bottle-type water dispensers
4. Pool heaters, residential pool pumps, and portable electric spas
5. Commercial hot food holding cabinets

Standards do not apply to new products manufactured in Washington and sold outside the State, new products manufactured outside Washington and sold at wholesale inside Washington for final retail sale and installation outside the State, products installed in mobile manufactured homes at the time of construction, or products designed expressly for installation and use in recreational vehicles.

The law stipulates that existing standards and test methods may be increased and updated. Any recommendations shall be transmitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature sixty days before the start of any regular legislative session.

* These acts include the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.