FORT WASHINGTON, PA (July 30, 2025) – As a senior leader of an energy efficiency program provider, I’ve seen firsthand how the ENERGY STAR® program powers more than just appliances – it powers equity, savings, and resilience in households that need it most. Proposals to eliminate or defund ENERGY STAR may seem like bureaucratic belt-tightening, but the real cost will fall squarely on the backs of low-income families.
ENERGY STAR isn’t just a blue label. It’s a lifeline for struggling households navigating high utility bills, outdated appliances, and drafty homes. A family making $30,000 a year doesn’t have the luxury of shopping for high-end HVAC systems. They rely on ENERGY STAR to guide them toward affordable products, will help to lower their monthly costs, and qualify for rebates and weatherization assistance. The vast majority of federal and utility-run efficiency programs – including the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the Low-Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – rely on ENERGY STAR standards to determine eligibility. Remove the standard, and you don’t just eliminate a label – you destabilize a vast infrastructure of support that helps keep lights on and homes warm in underserved communities.
ENERGY STAR also simplifies decisions. In a world full of jargon and “greenwashed” claims, it’s a rare symbol people actually trust. That’s especially important for renters, seniors, and working families who don’t have time and may not have the technological know-how to sift through spec sheets. The label levels the playing field and empowers wise choices. Trust is the single most crucial factor in any customer journey.
Critics argue that ENERGY STAR has become too broad or that it’s outdated. That’s a call for reform, not removal. We should be modernizing the program, making it more responsive to technology and localized needs, not gutting it just as energy costs and climate risks are rising significantly. If we eliminate ENERGY STAR, we shift the burden of research, verification, and efficiency performance onto consumers who are the least equipped to bear it. That’s not just bad policy – it’s a step backwards in the fight for economic and climate justice.
It’s not just residential customers that would suffer, either. ENERGY STAR is not only beneficial to low-income consumers, but also to businesses. According to Bloomberg, over 330,000 buildings across the country – about 25% of all commercial buildings in the U.S. – use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager. This software tool enables owners to track energy consumption, water usage, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings and helps to identify buildings in need of efficiency upgrades. In the last year, Portfolio Manager helped businesses and organizations avoid $14 billion in energy costs.
We need to make energy efficiency more accessible, not less. For millions of families and businesses across the country, ENERGY STAR is the most visible and impactful tool we have to do just that. Sure, fixes are needed – but let’s not pull the plug.
About the Author:
Becky Eshbach is the Sr. Director of Customer Experience at CMC Energy Services, Inc., which delivers residential and commercial energy efficiency services across the Northeast and Midwest. CMC has specialized in supporting low and moderate-income communities in implementing sustainable energy solutions for over 47 years.