Energy Star - A Fallen Star?

At some point in time we’ve all embellished to enhance our feeling of pride or to bring excitement to someone else. Likewise, we probably all know someone who’s boasted to win a hot date, or told their spouse of a greater sale price than they actually received. Intentions provoking these exaggerations, however, are not always good and organizations exist who seek to take advantage of our big green hearts.

A recent suspect to this predatory practice is the Energy Star program whose logo in our homes represents our diminishing carbon footprint. But does it?

Watchdogs at Consumer Reports have recently examined various Energy Star products and found them failing to deliver their promised energy savings. This was partly due to Energy Star compliance checks being conducted when appliances weren’t operating in ways representative of everyday home use. For instance, a refrigerator being tested for energy consumption while the ice-maker and its cooling center is off.  Consumer Reports also cast light on the fact that the products Energy Star supports have had their only evaluations completed by the manufacturers themselves. Perhaps a bit reminiscent of the countless “Best Burger in Town” signs coating city streets?

These aren’t the only flaws. David B. Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) remarks that test procedures are “out of date and problematic,” while Energy Star itself admits that “federal test procedures haven’t kept pace with technology.” Amidst the rumble, Consumer Reports still holds that Energy Star is a useful reference that needs only a dose of rigorous third-party review.

To see the article in full, visit: consumerreports.org

To view the EPA’s rebuttal: energystar.gov/

To inspect Consumer Reports’ rebuttal to the rebuttal: blogs.consumerreports.org (download the pdf)