Washington DC, 11 March, 2024 – CLASP’s latest report, “How National Appliance and Equipment Energy Conservation Standards Can Improve Public Health and Advance Justice40 Initiative Goals,” finds that standards adopted over the past 30 years have led to substantial reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PM2.5 precursor emissions, which are harmful pollutants that can cause respiratory and cardiovascular health issues such as asthma, lung cancer, or heart disease. Data from 2017 suggest that this reduction could prevent between 1,900 and 4,400 PM2.5-related deaths every year. Using the value of statistical life, this translates to monetary benefits of $18 to $41 billion.

Importantly, CLASP’s study finds that the benefits of these standards are distributed relatively equitably among communities with those designated as disadvantaged by Justice40, an initiative aiming to ensure that 40% of the overall benefit of federal climate investments go to disadvantaged communities, receiving a significant share.

These findings demonstrate the far-reaching positive impacts of standards and highlight the importance of the US Department of Energy meeting its deadlines for updating approximately 50 appliance efficiency standards, including for water heaters, by January 2025. Finalizing all pending standards could avert 2.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions while saving consumers nearly $1 trillion over 30 years, according to the agency.

The report outlines actionable recommendations to amplify the benefits of standards and suggests ways to measure their contribution towards Justice40 goals. By implementing these recommendations, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and communities can work together to ensure that national appliance standards continue to drive positive change for all people and the planet.

Read the full report here.

The US has experienced extreme and dangerous freezing temperatures this winter – with dozens of deaths attributed to exposure to the bitter cold. Last summer saw sweltering heatwaves across the country shatter previous records.

Heat pumps help people and the planet

Heat pumps – an energy efficient, all-electric indoor space heating and cooling technology – are a key solution for controlling indoor temperatures, while reducing the use of fossil fuels like methane gas and oil.

In 2022, The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), became the biggest climate investment in US history. It funded electrification efforts to increase the widespread adoption of heat pumps, with the aim to make climate-friendly home temperature control accessible to all communities.

Additional policymakers’ action can drive adoption

According to a new report from CLASP and the Regulatory Assistance Project, the IRA funds are insufficient to increase heat pump adoption to the level needed. The research shows that although the IRA is projected to incrementally increase heat pump deployment this decade, complementary state level policies and initiatives could be the key to supercharging heat pumps implementation as a critical climate-solution.

The report outlines effective and proven tactics to drive heat pump adoption – including community engagement, energy efficiency and performance policies, workforce development and financing mechanisms. Hybrid heating, a strategy developed by CLASP and partners to introduce homeowners to heat pumps by pairing them with legacy heating systems, offers another path forward.

The report advises that state policymakers utilize a combination of these approaches to craft a winning strategy that drives familiarity, acceptance, and widespread adoption of heat pumps to make the best use of federal dollars. This would be a win for people and the planet.

Learn more how CLASP and RAP are supporting accelerated heat pump adoption here.

WASHINGTON, DC – A new issue brief from CLASP and Consumer Federation of America finds 76% of Americans support federal energy efficiency standards for appliances. The brief highlights a significant opportunity to lower energy bills across the country, including for low-income households, households of color, and renters that spend a disproportionate share of their income on energy.

The nationally representative survey of over 4,000 Americans revealed that a majority of the country, regardless of race, gender, or income, is in favor of standards and in support of payback periods ranging between three, five, and even ten years.

“With rising energy prices and widespread inflation, now more than ever, consumers can use the additional pocketbook savings that updated efficiency standards will provide in hundreds of dollars annually thanks to the increased energy efficiency of their household appliances,” said Richard Eckman, Communications Manager and Energy Advocate at Consumer Federation of America. “Our data show that consumers across all demographics support efficiency standards and are willing to make an investment in energy efficiency that pays for itself over a short period of time through energy bill savings.”

The survey found that two-thirds of US households replaced major appliances – like refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and space heating equipment – within the last five years, largely due to emergency situations like product failure.

“Without stringent efficiency requirements, we are missing out on massive cost and energy savings that would benefit consumers across the country – especially lower-income households,” said Matt Malinowski, Director of Climate Research at CLASP, an efficiency policy NGO. “The data showcase the urgent need to eliminate the worst performing products from the market to promote the equitable benefits of leading technology.”

When faced with the need for a new appliance, a notable portion of the population turns to the used market. The survey found that low-income, Black, and renter households are at least 50% more likely than the general population to replace a major appliance with a used product.

“Our findings suggest a large used appliance market in the US. When the most inefficient appliances are passed on as second- or even third-hand items, they can have persistent and lasting cost burdens, particularly for low-income renters and households of color that spend a disproportionate share of their income on energy bills. We need to amplify efforts that lower barriers to efficient appliances for marginalized groups and expand initiatives that prevent the oldest, least-efficient products from entering the resale market,” said Lauren Boucher, Research Manager at CLASP.

Standards already save the average American household over $300 per year on their energy bills. To ensure that all Americans reap additional economic benefits from more efficient technologies, the authors recommend that the US Department of Energy meet legally binding deadlines for updating standards and, when warranted, implement efficiency requirements for uncovered products.

###

About CLASP: CLASP serves at the epicenter of collaborative, ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change and in the global movement for clean energy access, through appliance efficiency. CLASP works hand-in-hand with governments, experts, industry, consumers, donor organizations and others to propel policies and markets toward the highest-quality, lowest resource-intensive products possible. Learn more at https://www.clasp.ngo/.

About Consumer Federation of America: The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of more than 250 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy. Learn more at https://consumerfed.org/.

Read the full release here.

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2208 into law, a landmark bill by Assemblymember Kalra and Senator Becker that sets phase out dates for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) starting in 2024. Climate, clean air, worker safety, and public and environmental health advocates applaud the move to protect Californians and the planet from the dangers of mercury containing lamps.

“We are delighted to have legislative champions in Assemblymember Ash Kalra and Senator Josh Becker who were willing to take action to remove toxic mercury from lighting which unnecessarily exposes the public and waste workers to a potent neurotoxin,” said Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC), sponsor of the bill.

Over the last 10 years, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have become an increasingly available, cost-effective, and much more efficient lighting solution. Because LED retrofit lamps produce the same illumination as fluorescents but use half as much electricity, this new law will cut California’s lighting energy bills in half and protect the state from rolling blackouts caused by electricity shortages.

“AB 2208 will result in even more efficient energy use in our homes and businesses, reduced electricity bills, as well as reductions in both carbon and toxic pollution,” said Victoria Rome, Director of California Government Affairs for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

A recent market study found that by 2030, California could save over $1 billion annually on electricity bills, achieve annual electricity savings of about 5,600 gigawatt hours, and avoid the release of 950,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.

California is now the second state to pass a ban on fluorescent lamps, following Vermont’s vote to phase out CFLs in 2023 and 4-foot LFLs in 2024. California, however, went further by including lamps up to 8 feet in the phase-out.

“We applaud the leadership being shown by the State of California, transitioning away from toxic mercury-based light sources in favor of clean, efficient and cost-effective LED technology,” said Corinne Schneider, Chief Communications and Development Officer at CLASP. “We hope California’s move will generate some momentum, with other states taking action to protect people and the planet from fluorescent lighting.”

Governments around the world are increasingly recognizing LEDs as the foremost lighting technology on the market today. In December 2021, the European Union banned the sale of almost all mercury-containing fluorescent lamps by September 2023, and in March 2022, 137 governments voted to phase out CFLs by 2025 through the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

As one of the biggest lighting markets in the country, the new California law signals that the US is ready to make the transition to a clean lighting economy. The US is well positioned to take a leading role in global negotiations and push for an equitable global transition to better lighting at the Minamata Convention COP5 next year.

###

About the Clean Lighting Coalition: The Clean Lighting Coalition is a global partnership coordinated by CLASP to capture the health and environmental benefits of eliminating mercury-based lighting. To learn more, visit www.cleanlightingcoalition.org and follow the Coalition on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the National Stewardship Action Council: The National Stewardship Action Council was founded in 2015 as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that engages in education and advocacy work that drives a circular and equitable economy, anywhere in the U.S., and at any level of government.  Our vision is that the U.S. achieve a circular and equitable economy.  You can follow us on social media via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and You Tube.

Every six seconds a new residential furnace or air conditioner starts up in the US, meaning homes lose out on the opportunity to decarbonize until the product is ready to be replaced – likely not until 2035-2040. This report advocates for households to replace existing air conditioning units at the end of their useful life with look-alike electric heat pumps – a super-efficient technology that can both heat and cool indoor spaces.

Two-way heat pumps offer a reliable, cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional air conditioners, enhancing energy security and reducing fossil fuel consumption. In this proposal, households would keep their legacy heat system in place, using it to supplement the heat pump at lower temperatures. As of 2022, there are 54 million US homes that are ready for hybrid heating.

This report, expanding on findings from CLASP’s 2021 3H Hybrid Heat Homes Report, offers benefit analyses of four major heating fuel types – oil, propane, methane and electric resistance – and outlines key recommendations for how state governments and utilities can support accelerated heat pump adoption across the US.

By transitioning these households to super-efficient hybrid heating, US could reduce national heating bills by $13.6 billion and cut annual CO2 emissions by 67 Mt, the equivalent of removing 14.4 million passenger cars from the road for an entire year.

Read the full press release here.

A new report from CLASP and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) finds that the US could reduce national heating bills by $13.6 billion and cut annual CO2 emissions by 67 Mt, the equivalent of removing 14.4 million passenger cars for an entire year, by swapping air conditioners for heat pumps.

The report, “Combating High Fuel Prices with Hybrid Heating: The Case for Swapping Air Conditioners for Heat Pumps”, advocates for households to replace existing air conditioning units at the end of their useful life with look-alike electric heat pumps – a technology that can both heat and cool indoor spaces. In this proposal, households would keep their legacy heat systems in place, using them to supplement the heat pump at lower temperatures.

“AC retirements are a low-cost opportunity to bring super-efficient heat pumps into US homes,” said Matt Malinowski, report author and Director of Climate Research at CLASP. “Our report offers a robust argument in favor of making the swap, including huge cost savings for households and meaningful mitigation impacts.”

Every six seconds a new residential furnace or air conditioner starts up in the US, meaning these households miss out on the opportunity to begin home decarbonization until that equipment is retired in 2035-2040. In contrast, 1.7 million oil, 3.1 million propane, 16 million electric resistance, and 33 million methane gas households across the country can benefit right now from swapping one-way ACs for hybrid heat pumps. Households will also reduce their heating bills by $77-$555 per year, while reducing CO2 emissions by 11%-20%, depending on fuel.

“The transition away from fossil heating in the US requires millions of new electric heat pumps to be installed in the next few decades,” said Steve Pantano, Chief of Research at Rewiring America. “But the opportunity is clear. We can tackle a big part of this challenge at a very low cost, save consumers money on their energy bills, and accelerate progress toward our nation’s climate goals.”

The report, which extends the research in CLASP’s 2021 3H report, offers an analysis of the feasibility and benefits of household transition from oil, propane, methane gas, and electric resistance heating to hybrid heating systems in light of rising fuel costs and a desire to reduce fossil fuel dependence. The authors also recommend proven state and local policy tools to accelerate the adoption and overall availability of heat pumps.

“Rerunning the numbers, the Hybrid Heat Homes idea makes even more sense this year than last,” said Nate Adams, founder of HVAC 2.0 and co-author of the 3H paper. “All fuel prices are up substantially, so savings amounts got higher. Particularly for rural areas with expensive fuels and lower income, it’s a boon for equity. And, of course, being able to run on renewables helps deliver true energy independence so we’re less prone to price shocks like those caused by events like Russia invading Ukraine.”

Pushing for a swap from air conditioners to heat pumps over the next 5-10 years will smooth the way for full-building electrification and advance the United States towards its ambitious goal of achieving net zero by 2050.

“Electrification of the existing housing stock is a big mountain to climb,” said Max Dupuy, coauthor of the report and Principal at RAP. “Every home is different. Our proposal to swap AC to heat pumps opens a clear path to get rolling.”