The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the ENERGY STAR program in 1992 to encourage the production and use of energy-efficient devices in more than 60 different product categories. Program results have been dramatic—a desktop computer that once consumed 30 watts in sleep mode now uses only 4 watts—with estimated savings of more than 213 billion kilowatts and $12 billion during the program’s first 18 years.

Moreover, 30 percent of these savings are estimated to come from consumer and home-office electronic products, including audio and video components, battery chargers, computers, printing and imaging equipment, set-top and cable boxes, telephony, and other devices.

American consumers are becoming more aware of their carbon footprints and are looking for the ENERGY STAR label not just for environmental considerations, but for cost savings on their energy bills as well; the savings can be substantial when aggregated. For example, according to the ENERGY STAR website, if only ENERGY STAR-labeled home office products were purchased in the United States in a given year, the country would require 700 million kWh less energy, saving as much as $75 million and preventing 1 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions—the equivalent of the annual output of 90,000 cars.

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