HARRISBURG, Pa. – A typical household in Pennsylvania stands to save an average of $128 annually on utility bills over the next two decades, thanks to newly updated national appliance efficiency standards, according to analysis released Tuesday by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). Pennsylvania businesses are expected to be a major benefactor to these new standards, and are projected to collectively save an estimated $68.2 million per year on average over the next two decades on energy costs due to the new requirements.
“These updated standards will save consumers money for years to come, just by using more efficient appliances. It’s a clear win for Pennsylvanians’ wallets,” said PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center Deputy Director Flora Cardoni. “For Pennsylvania residents and businesses, the prospect of sustained annual utility bill savings is welcome news.”
The savings projections are published by ASAP and PIRG, Environment America’s sister organization, as part of their new policy analysis, Reducing Costs Across America: New Appliance Standards Save Consumers Money in Every State. Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has updated energy efficiency standards for a range of appliances.
“Consumers are going to save money year after year thanks to efficiency standards set during the Biden administration,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “Whether you’re replacing a water heater or a clothes dryer, these standards are going to ensure you get a better product that doesn’t leave you with needlessly high utility bills.”
The newly released analysis also shows that the new standards will cut sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides pollution in Pennsylvania by an average of 371 tons and 392 tons per year respectively, over the next twenty years. Both pollutants are harmful to the human respiratory system and contribute to respiratory conditions, particularly in children, the elderly, and those with asthma.
“The Biden administration’s updated appliance efficiency standards will help Pennsylvanians live longer, healthier lives,” said Cardoni.
PIRG has long advocated for more efficient appliances, alongside ASAP, the Consumer Federation of America, Climate Action Campaign and others. Most recently, U.S. PIRG Education Fund and its sister organizations Environment America Research & Policy Center and Environment America, urged the Biden administration to finalize strong and long overdue updates to efficiency standards.
Strong energy efficiency standards, alongside solutions for pollution across other agencies, will significantly reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania and help the Biden administration meet its goal of cutting climate pollution in half by the end of the decade, relative to 2005 levels.