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The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to eliminate a longstanding federal program that has quietly helped Americans save over half a trillion dollars since it began.
If you’ve ever noticed that familiar blue sticker on your fridge, dishwasher, or washing machine, you’ve already benefited from it—without even realizing.
That label belongs to Energy Star, a program launched in 1992 that helps consumers identify energy-efficient appliances, and it’s credited with saving U.S. residents a staggering $40 billion annually.
Broken down, that’s about $1,176 per person in yearly savings based on the current U.S. population of roughly 340 million.
The program’s total lifetime savings of $500 billion were confirmed by a 2023 federal report. Its annual $40 billion benefit figure comes from Ben Evans, federal legislative director at the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Energy Star gives people simple info on how efficient products are,” Evans told The Washington Post. “It costs just $32 million to run—yet saves us $40 billion. That’s a huge return.”
Despite this, three sources reportedly told the Post that Trump’s EPA plans to shutter the Energy Star program entirely. Insiders say this was revealed during a closed-door meeting within the EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection.
Evans called the move “shortsighted,” especially considering that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aims to cut wasteful spending—not programs that return over 1,000 times their cost.
Among its perks, Energy Star has helped builders get $2,500 federal tax credits for constructing energy-efficient homes and offered credits to homeowners for upgrading appliances. Now, those credits are in limbo.
Beyond personal savings, Energy Star’s environmental impact has also been huge. The program has prevented about 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 933 million gas-powered cars off the road—every year.
Yet with Trump’s administration eyeing the chopping block, the future of this under-the-radar savings powerhouse is now uncertain.
