President Donald Trump plans to roll back efficiency standards on household appliances, including showerheads, toilets, and light bulbs.
What's happening?
Reuters reported on Trump's stated goals to revert appliance efficiency standards. In a Feb. 11 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: "I am hereby instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to immediately go back to my environmental orders … on water standards and flow."
He referred to his standards as "common sense" and said: "I look forward to signing these orders."
The water efficiency standards include toilets, showers, dishwashers, sinks, and washing machines. For electric appliances, the standards focus on incandescent versus LED light bulbs.
The specifics behind each appliance's efficiency standards vary. However, the standards all served the same purpose: to encourage energy efficiency and water conservation.
Why are efficient home appliances important?
Efficiency standards save substantial amounts of energy and water. They help the planet while saving consumers money.
LED light bulbs last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and can require 90% less energy. Switching from incandescent to LED results in lower electricity bills and long-lasting bulbs.
Efficient water appliances are just as beneficial. According to Slate, using a water-efficient toilet saves the average household almost 13,000 gallons of water annually. Trump has said that low-flow toilets function poorly, per the Associated Press. However, as Slate points out, low-flow toilets have come a long way since the '90s. Modern ones are much more powerful.
But this problem goes beyond light bulbs and toilets. A rollback of environmental orders could encourage people to guzzle resources without a second thought. It could help create a wasteful mindset, telling people it's OK to squander water and electricity.
|
Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, told Slate: "Rolling back standards that reduce energy and water use and bills isn't going to save people money. It's just the opposite."
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
He continued: "These efficiency standards for energy- and water-using products have been quietly saving energy and water for consumers for decades now … Going back to the old ways is not the answer."
What can we do to honor the efficiency standards?
While efficiency standards may not be mandated, we can still use energy-efficient appliances.
When buying new appliances, look for Energy Star-certified products. Choose LEDs over incandescents. Opt for smart appliances with energy management systems.
Beyond choosing appliances, we can all work to conserve water and electricity. Small actions, like turning the tap off while you brush your teeth or unplugging your charger when not in use, can make a difference.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
