In April, 2017, more than 1,000 US businesses urged the Trump administration to strengthen the federal Energy Star program, rather than eliminating it. For these businesses, including big names like Staples and Ingersoll Rand, the argument is an economic one. Every tax dollar invested in the Energy Star program saves $680 annually, which is a return any businessperson would appreciate.
Here at Cool Choices, we are also a strong proponent of Energy Star. While we appreciate the economics, we also have other importation reasons for supporting the program.
We talk with our business clients and community partners all the time about what it takes to make change happen. If you want employees, family members, or friends to reduce their waste, we recommend you make it ‘fun, social, and easy’ for them to make the change.
Energy Star Makes Choosing Energy Efficient Devices Easy
In the 1980s – before Energy Star – it was not easy to opt for energy efficient devices. Back then, consumers got conflicting information from different sources, and had to do their own research on the energy usage of specific models, as well as their performance.
Today, thanks to the implementation of the federal Energy Star program, we can walk into any retail outlet and know instantly which appliance and other device options are both energy efficient and high performing, based on that ever-so-handy Energy Star label.
The Energy Star program makes opting for the most energy efficient models easy because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DoE) have partnered with utilities, manufacturers, and consumer groups to create a program that aggregates energy usage and performance data to identify the best models, granting them permission to use the Energy Star label. By creating a federal program that does the heavy lifting, they have made it easy for consumers to make better choices. And, as noted above, the program is so effective that every dollar invested yields $680 in savings!
Americans are busy people. Between family life, work commitments, and our various online obsessions, most of us do not have time to research the energy efficiency of every appliance we purchase. If the program is eliminated, people will have no choice but to either waste precious time and energy – or in the worst case, not – by researching these important facts, which were previously provided for them. Energy Star makes it easier for us to do the right thing, the smart thing, and the money-saving thing. Energy Star makes it easier to opt for a high quality product that use less energy.
Cool Choices Advocates for Making Sustainable Change Easy for Consumers
Here at Cool Choices, we’re strong advocates for Energy Star because we know change is more likely to happen when it’s easy. Ideally our political leaders will realize that there’s no gain in making it harder for Americans to make cool choices at work and home.
For more information related to our philosophies about making sustainable change easy, check out our other blog topics, such as, “Leveraging Social Norms to Achieve Sustainability Objectives.”
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