The value of ENERGY STAR

For over 30 years, ENERGY STAR has enabled American consumers and businesses to save upwards of $500 billion in energy expenses, serving as the backbone for tracking and benchmarking building energy performance in both the private and public sectors. A sudden discontinuation of ENERGY STAR would lead to considerable harm and disruption across various sectors of the economy, including product manufacturing, retail, home construction, and commercial real estate.

• ENERGY STAR quietly delivers massive reductions in electricity demand, which is particularly important with demand on the grid rising rapidly, including from data centers and AI. In 2023, ENERGY STAR programs saved 520 billion kWh of electricity demand or more than 10% of total U.S. consumption.  
• By requiring ENERGY STAR purchases where available in the federal procurement process, the federal government saves taxpayer dollars using ENERGY STAR products, reducing energy costs every year. One report found the Air Force alone saved $15 million annually by requiring ENERGY STAR in its computer procurement. 
• Nearly 90% of American households recognize the ENERGY STAR brand, and 45% of U.S. households knowingly purchased an ENERGY STAR product in the last year. Americans purchased more than 300 million ENERGY STAR products in 2021. 
• More than 330,000 commercial properties rely on the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track and improve their buildings' energy performance. The buildings cover more than 30 billion square feet, more than one-quarter of the nation’s commercial floorspace. 
• U.S. homebuilders have built more than 3 million ENERGY STAR homes since the home program’s inception, including nearly 320,000 in 2024, representing about one-quarter of new U.S. housing starts that year. The average ENERGY STAR-certified home saves $400 per year on energy bills. 
• More than 840 utilities, along with many state and local governments, rely on ENERGY STAR in their efficiency programs, including utility rebate programs. 
• A number of tax credits, including the Sec. 45L homebuilder tax credit for energy-efficient new home construction and the Sec. 25C tax credit for homeowner energy efficiency improvements are pegged to ENERGY STAR, with builders and homeowners currently planning around them to build new homes and invest in home efficiency upgrades. 
• Congress has codified ENERGY STAR in law, including in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which requires EPA and DOE to carry out the program. Congress has also consistently supported ENERGY STAR through the appropriations process.

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