Energy Star to Stop Certifying Programmable Thermostats

Energy Star, the federal energy efficiency program, has announced that it will no longer certify programmable thermostats. According to Energy Star spokesperson Jill Abelson, the thermostats have the potential to save homes $150 or more yearly when used properly, but in practice, homes with programmable thermostats don’t consume less energy compared with homes without them. Presence of the thermostats has even been associated with higher energy use in some studies. “Consumer confusion persists around whether programmable thermostats inherently save money or whether proper use is a factor,” said Abelson. She said that Energy Star would transition during 2007 to an “educational partnership” with manufacturers and retailers, which may allow products to carry a modified Energy Star label, rather than to a performance-based specification program. More information is at www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=revisions.thermostats_spec.