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The Energy Star program has been criticized for allowing too many home appliances to carry the energy efficiency label. So now the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, which jointly run Energy Star, are announcing a new label—"most efficient"—reserved for the utmost energy efficient washers, dryers, and other appliances.
The Energy Star Most Efficient program will start on a pilot basis through the rest of the year, USA Today reports. The designation will be reserved for the top 5 percent of energy-efficient products.
Appliances first eligible for the designation will include clothes washers, heating and cooling systems, televisions, and refrigerator-freezers. In the fall, the EPA will consider new categories for the label.
The “most efficient” products must “demonstrate efficiency performance that is truly exceptional, inspirational or leading-edge—consistent with the interests of environmentally motivated consumers and early adopters," according to EPA’s guidelines.