Could your fridge and AC become cheaper to buy but more costly to run?

By Lulu Chang April 14, 2017

1164564 autosave v1 refrigerator — Katarzyna Białasiewicz

Your home appliances may be getting more intelligent, but they could become less efficient. That is, if the appliance industry successfully lobbies Congress to roll back energy efficiency standards that the industry deems “unrealistic and costly for air conditioners, refrigerators, and other equipment,” as Bloomberg reports. Should these manufacturers meet with sympathetic lawmakers, it could mean a paring back of Reagan-era laws that set minimum efficiency standards for various appliances, which means the possibility of more energy-guzzling, and thereby expensive, home goods.

“We thought they went too far in pushing the efficiency too high and not looking at the economic costs for the consumers,” Stephen Yurek, president of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, which represents various AC and heater manufacturers, told Bloomberg. “I think we are going to see a dial back. There is a different philosophy and that is very clear.”

Indeed, the current administration has dialed back its support of various environmentally friendly initiatives, setting the stage for a potential win for the industry. But environmentalists certainly hope that standards are kept in play, as even saving a little bit of power here and there really adds up when considering the sheer number of households in the U.S. and the number of electric appliances they use every day.

“An average American household spends about $500 less per year on utility bills because of the efficiency gains in our everyday appliances,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “Rolling back standards or weakening the law to make it harder to improve standards in the future would lead to more energy waste and hurt consumers.”

However, should appliance manufacturers encourage simplifying energy laws instead of weakening them overall, analysts say they may be onto something. As Kevin Book, managing director of research firm ClearView Energy Partners noted, “It’s hard to imagine loosening an environmental statute at the federal level, but simplification is within the realm of reason.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Smart Home

This Wi-Fi robot vacuum is discounted from $199 to $79

The iHome AutoVac Juno robot vacuum cleaning the floor.

Robot vacuum deals are consistently getting cheaper it seems, with it now possible to buy a robot vacuum for just $79. That’s the case at Walmart with the iHome AutoVac Juno Robot Vacuum down to $79 for a limited time. It usually costs $199 so you’re saving a huge $120 off the regular price making now the perfect time to upgrade to all the convenience that comes from having a robot vacuum. Keen to learn more? Let’s take a look.

Why you should buy the iHome AutoVac Juno Robot Vacuum
You won’t see iHome feature in our look at the best robot vacuums but that’s not to say that there aren’t benefits to buying such a cheap robot vacuum today. With the iHome AutoVac Juno Robot Vacuum, you get up to 2,000pa of strong suction power with up to 100 minutes of runtime ensuring that plenty can be accomplished.

Smart Home

The Narwal Freo X Plus is an entry-level robot vacuum loaded with premium features

The Freo X Plus vacuuming pet hair.

Narwal launched the Freo X Ultra earlier this year, and we found it to be an exceptional robot vacuum and mop combo -- though its $1,400 price tag made it a luxury item for most shoppers. Thankfully, many of the Freo X Ultra's best features can be found on the newly launched Narwal Freo X Plus, which offers an affordable alternative to the flagship vacuum and mop combo.

The Freo X Plus should be much more appealing to frugal shoppers, as it clocks in at just $400. That's a full $1,000 cheaper than the Ultra, yet it still holds up to seven weeks of dust, can lift its mopping plate when traveling on carpet, and produces up to 7,800 Pa of suction to pull out dirt and debris from your carpets. It can even apply 6 Newton units of downward pressure while mopping, allowing it to tackle tough stains with ease.

Smart Home

Samsung’s new Smart Refrigerators are already discounted

samsung smart refrigerator deal may 2022 last chance bespoke 4 door french feature

For great refrigerator deals, go straight to the source and buy Samsung’s latest Smart Refrigerators for a great discount. As part of its Spring Black Friday sale, Samsung has discounted six different smart refrigerators with up to $1,200 off some of them. If you’ve been waiting to buy a new refrigerator and you want to invest in a high-end smart refrigerator, this is your chance to do so while saving substantial sums of money. The best thing to do is click the button below to see for yourself what’s on sale. Alternatively, read on and we’ll take you through what we know.

What to shop for in the Samsung smart refrigerator sale
Samsung easily makes some of the best smart refrigerators around so you simply can’t go wrong with whatever you buy. One immediately tempting option is the . It usually costs $4,214 but it’s down to $3,199 as part of this sale. It has changeable door panels which feature the Beverage Zone with two temperature settings which are perfect for drinks and desserts. There’s a choice of an internal dispenser or a built-in AutoFill Water Pitcher. The fridge has a modern design which blends into any kitchen while its automatically opening doors work through a simple, light touch of the sensor, saving you from needing to juggle too much at once. You can also customize the lower-right storage space to be a refrigerator or freezer with five adjustable temperature settings.