The typical U.S. family spends close to $1,300 a year on its home utility bill. Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted. In fact, in the aggregate, U.S. homes waste as much energy as we get from the Alaskan oil pipeline each year. And the electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. Using energy efficient appliances and other common-sense conservation measures can significantly reduce home energy costs and help the environment.

Energy Star® Products Promotions. Six major Americans companies – Best Buy, Home Depot, Maytag, Philips Lighting Company North America, Sears, and Whirlpool – are announcing a series of consumer incentives to help promote the use of energy efficient products by Americans in their own homes. All of these companies are partners in Energy Star Products, a Federal-private sector partnership to design and promote appliances and other items that use cutting-edge energy efficient technologies to save consumers money and help protect the environment.

• Best Buy will offer free delivery and new financing incentives on Energy Star appliances (clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators) for the month of December 1999.
• Home Depot will begin a national roll-out of a new Energy Star Windows Program, with advertising displays and labels that help consumers choose among energy efficient windows.
• Maytag will reduce price on an Energy Star clothes washer by $100 starting in early 2000. It will also launch a public education campaign about the benefits of the efficient washers in selected U.S. areas where energy and water are particularly scarce.
• Philips Lighting Company North America will offer Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs at Home Depot for less than $10.
• Sears will feature new lines of Energy Star heating & cooling units/systems and a new Energy Star advertising campaign. Sears will also continue to offer free financing on Energy Star appliances and heating & cooling systems, as well as free delivery on all Energy Star appliances.
• Whirlpool will feature a new SERP (the U.S. Department of Energy Super-Efficient Refrigerator Program) refrigerator that is 35 percent more efficient than the current U.S. standard for refrigerators. The product will be available to consumers in the 2^nd quarter of 2000.

Click here to view the press conference plus other interviews from the release of the "Greening of the White House" report.

Energy Efficiency Measures Taken in the White House

Companies Announce Energy Efficient Product Promotions

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