Water heating and clothes washing account for about 15 percent of all household energy, costing consumers some $21 billion a year. But those machines are about to become significantly more efficient.

Under agreements with the nation's top appliance manufactures and energy efficient advocates, the Department of Energy has promulgated new rules to improve the cost effectiveness of residential water heaters and washing machines.

The proposed regulations covering washing machines will save nearly 5 quadrillion BTUs over a 25-year period, DoE says. That's enough electricity to light 16 million houses over the same period.

They also will reduce water usage by some 10.5 trillion gallons, which translates into about 18 gallons per wash. And they will cut greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equal to that produced by 3 million cars a year.

The proposed standards for water heaters are expected to save consumers more than $23 billion in energy costs over the next 20 years.

While the proposed precepts are subject to change by DoE, it is expected that they will not meet with any objections and will be written into a final regulation by the end of the year. Although some makers currently offer some products that meet the standards, once they are adopted, all products will have to meet them by 2007.

By the end of the year, the agency also hopes to issue similar new proposed rules for fluorescent lamp ballasts, residential central air conditioners, and commercial heating, air conditioning and water heaters.

The standards proposed for washing machines were worked out with such well known manufacturers as Whirlpool, General Electric, Maytag, Frigidaire and Amana as well as a number of advocacy groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Alliance to Save Energy.

Published: May 30, 2000

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