Energy Department unveils long-awaited water heater efficiency standards

Today the Department of Energy unveiled a proposal for new federal efficiency standards for home water heaters.

The proposed standards—due seven years ago by law—would reduce households’ overall costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions, with the most significant energy-saving improvement for electric tank models.

“The recently proposed updated efficiency standards for residential water heaters that would deliver some of the largest energy bill savings and greenhouse gas reductions of any appliance standard to date,” said Johanna Neumann, senior director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy.