New Law Will Affect Refrigerators and Freezers in Maine

Say goodbye to these refrigerators; soon, they won’t be around anymore in our Pine Tree State.

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Change is on the horizon in 2024, and Maine has already seen a shift with the rise in the minimum wage on January 1st.

In the wake of the minimum wage increase and various other state laws taking effect at the beginning of the year, as is customary annually, we must adapt accordingly. Notably, the most recent adjustment isn't at the state level but stems from federal law.

As reported by Bloomberg Law, the Biden administration unveiled a final rule on the last Friday of 2023, enforcing more rigorous energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers. These changes, endorsed by producers and environmental groups, are projected to yield $36 billion in savings, as per the Department of Energy (DOE), offering both economic and environmental benefits.

The new standards for those energy-guzzling consumer appliances, which haven’t been updated in over a decade, will save consumers $36.4 billion over 30 years of shipments, the Energy Department estimated in a press release seen in advance by Bloomberg Law. The department adopted a recommendation offered in September by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and a group of environmental organizations and efficiency advocates.

With regards to what needs to be done and the given timetable:

The standards will bring cumulative emission reductions of nearly 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the department said, an amount roughly equivalent to the combined annual emissions of 12.7 million homes. Compliance will be required either Jan. 31, 2029, or Jan. 31, 2030, depending on the configuration of the refrigerator or freezer, DOE said.

As it stands, within the next five years, the cheaper models of various appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, will be off the market in Maine and nationwide.

Directly from the press release from the Department of Energy:

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (“EPCA”), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.

Of course, while your less energy-efficient refrigerators and freezers won’t become outright illegal, you’ll soon see that they will no longer be available for purchase in our Pine Tree State.