Press Release  DOER Releases Resources Supporting the New Appliance Efficiency Standards

Boston — The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has released tools for manufacturers, sellers, and installers regarding the Commonwealth’s appliance energy and water efficiency standards, which took effect on Sunday, January 1, 2023. The appliance efficiency standards prevent the most wasteful products from being sold, ensuring Massachusetts consumers spend less on energy and water over the course of a product’s lifetime. An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, signed by Governor Baker on March 26, 2021, created the standards requiring minimum energy and water efficiency levels for new product categories, including:

• Computers and computer monitors;
• High CRI (color rendering index) fluorescent lamps;
• Plumbing fittings, including lavatory and kitchen faucets, replacement aerators, and showerheads;
• Plumbing fixtures, including toilets and urinals;
• Portable electric spas;
• Water coolers;
• Residential ventilating fans;
• Commercial cooking equipment, including ovens, dishwashers, hot food holding cabinets, fryers, and steam cookers;
• Spray sprinkler bodies for irrigation; and,
• Electric vehicle supply equipment.

To advance the process, DOER published regulations in December of 2021 incorporating public comment received in the fall of that year. Guidelines providing additional information on compliance and enforcement were released in November of 2022, incorporating public comment received in the summer of that year. The regulation standards required manufacturers to certify their compliant equipment and prohibited them from shipping non-compliant products to Massachusetts starting January 1, 2022. Additionally, beginning on January 1, 2023, the second phase of the standards went into effect, making non-compliant products no longer being able to be sold or installed in Massachusetts. DOER has posted instructions for manufacturers, sellers, and installers to comply with these new standards.

Local distributors, retailers, and installers can check their inventory against the database of certified products at the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships website. Furthermore, should sellers or installers have additional questions about compliance, they are encouraged to contact DOER by emailing the agency at DOER.ApplianceStandards@mass.gov. Stakeholders can also sign up for the department’s Appliance Standards email list for future updates. For more information on appliance energy efficiency standards, please visit DOER’s Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards webpage.

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