DOE’s Water Heater Standards Promise Substantial Energy Savings

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced updated energy efficiency standards for residential water heaters today promising substantial energy savings of 27 quadrillion BTUs ("quads") of energy over the next 30 years and reduced energy bills for consumers.
 

The following is a statement from Joe Vukovich, staff attorney at NRDC:
 

“These standards will save a whopping 27 quads of energy, that’s more than a quarter of the energy consumed by the U.S. each year. Updating efficiency standards for water heaters will also save consumers an astounding $11.4 billion on their annual utility bills and prevent over 500 million metric tons of climate-warming carbon emissions over 30 years, equal to the annual emissions of 134 coal-fired power plants.
 

“This proposal will transition much of the electric water heater market to climate-friendly heat pumps, and it has never been a better time for families to invest in one thanks to the rebates and credits in the Inflation Reduction Act.”
 

###
 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing, and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at http://www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.