Energy Star is still in play after President Donald Trump signed new budget legislation this week, preserving funding for a consumer-facing efficiency label that is used to steer shoppers toward appliances and electronics that use less energy. The Associated Press reported that the legislation includes $33 million for Energy Star, slightly above the $32.1 million level in 2024, following years of declining funding for the program. Environmental advocates said the money is welcome but that the Trump administration’s broader approach to environmental agencies raises questions about how Energy Star will be managed.
Energy Star is a decades-old, voluntary program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with product testing and certification built around responsibilities shared by the EPA and the Department of Energy. In general, the program provides guidance to consumers about how efficient specific appliances and electronics are, with examples cited including dishwashers and washing machines. The program also extends to coverage involving new homes, commercial buildings and plants, according to the AP report.
EPA officials and supporting documentation describe Energy Star as aiming to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while also cutting consumer energy bills. The AP report said the EPA has stated that Energy Star has saved 4 billion metric tonnes of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions since it launched in 1992 and that it can save households an average of $450 annually. Those figures, and the structure of testing and certification, help explain why advocates view the program as more than a marketing label.
The political fight over efficiency has been tied, in part, to Trump’s broader statements and policy direction toward energy choices and environmental regulation. The AP report said Trump has repeatedly argued that efficiency standards for household items and appliances—many strengthened during President Joe Biden’s administration—rob consumers of choice and add unnecessary costs. It also said his first executive order after returning to office last year laid out a vision to “unleash American energy,” emphasizing “the American people’s freedom to choose” for items ranging from light bulbs and gas stoves to water heaters and shower heads.
At the same time, the AP report said Trump has also targeted energy efficiency efforts while seeking to block renewable energy development such as wind and solar and boosting fossil fuel sources that contribute to warming, including gas, oil and coal. Against that backdrop, EPA’s earlier planning raised concerns that Energy Star could be eliminated as part of a broader agency reorganization. The AP report said that last May, EPA drafted plans to eliminate Energy Star as part of an effort that targeted air pollution regulation and other environmental functions, describing the reorganization as delivering “organizational improvements to the personnel structure” to benefit the American people.
Even with Energy Star’s continued funding, the AP report described remaining uncertainty about staffing and administration under a smaller EPA footprint. Experts said the uncertainty likely did not affect consumers immediately over the past year because manufacturers cannot change their product lines overnight, but it could shape how the program operates. Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at Project Drawdown, said the uncertainty may have had a bigger effect on EPA’s ability to administer Energy Star, and she was among experts raising questions about how staffing cuts might affect EPA’s work.
The AP report said EPA spokesperson Brigit Hirsch did not address a question about whether staffing cuts could affect Energy Star administration, instead stating in a written response that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin “will follow the law as enacted by Congress.” The exchange reflected a key issue raised by advocates: Energy Star’s survival in the budget does not fully resolve how day-to-day enforcement, certification and staffing will look under the new agency shape.
The report also placed Energy Star within a broader set of efficiency rules and regulatory actions that it said are uncertain. It said the Department of Energy has proposed rolling back, weakening or revoking 17 other minimum efficiency standards for energy and water conservation as part of 47 deregulatory actions, covering products that must meet the standards to be sold legally. Examples cited included air cleaners, ovens, dehumidifiers, portable air conditioners, washers, dishwashers and faucets.
Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said in the AP report that those standards help save consumers money on utility bills over time, including in ways that many consumers do not notice. He argued that repealing the standards would increase costs, while also pointing to consumer choice in the appliance market. DeLaski also said changing efficiency requirements could drive up energy demand at a time when utilities are challenged to meet growing needs tied to data centers, electrification and other demands.
Finally, the AP report said Congress’s support for Energy Star has continued even as it has also advanced legislation that could give the president more power to roll back rules. DeLaski told the AP that manufacturers are likely to continue producing efficient consumer appliances, but he warned that weakened requirements could harm the U.S. marketplace. He said overseas competitors making inefficient products elsewhere could flood the U.S. market, undercutting American manufacturers.