Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG) has long been an advocate for energy efficiency in home appliances — and that includes commitment to supporting and promoting ENERGY STAR initiatives. First launched in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ENERGY STAR program has since “grown to encompass tens of thousands of organizations, utilities, and state and local governments who have partnered with the government to save energy and reduce emissions,” according to the official ENERGY STAR website. NMG is proud to be among those partners.

It is also with great pride that we have accepted the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence award for ten consecutive years. The annual award recognizes “outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements in partnership with ENERGY STAR,” with Sustained Excellence winners demonstrating a sustained, year-over-year commitment.

In February 2025, we learned that the EPA would be sunsetting the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year awards for 2025 due to a restructuring of the agency that limited resources. Currently, there is no expectation that the awards will resume next year.

With the EPA and U.S. Department of Entergy (DOE) facing budget cuts, several energy efficiency organizations initiated letters of support for ENERGY STAR out of concern that the program may be a potential target for dissolution. NMG has participated in lending support because:

• We believe the ENERGY STAR program sets a strong standard that gives consumers an easy, recognizable, and trustworthy way to support environmental friendliness and identify energy-saving products and practices.
• While the total annual cost to run ENERGY STAR is about $32 million, the program saves U.S. families over $40 billion in annual energy costs.
• ENERGY STAR has been an effective benchmark for any utility or local government to use for incentivizing the purchase of energy efficient products. In fact, the entire basis for the two Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs related to household energy savings, HOMES and HEAR, are centered on the purchase and installation of ENERGY STAR products. The same goes for the Federal tax credits tied to home efficiency.

What happens if the ENERGY STAR program is suspended?  

Energy efficiency existed before ENERGY STAR; however, it required the consumer to be more educated on product specifications. Even with the same energy efficiency desire, fewer consumers would likely land on the right products. Suspension of the program would also further delay the rollout of IRA programming.

Fortunately, several utility companies around the country already offer financial incentives for the purchase of energy-efficient products. These incentives could continue, given they are not funded by ENERGY STAR, and incentives are determined based on each utility company’s extensive product knowledge.

As new information becomes available on the fate of the ENERGY STAR program, we are committed to keeping you informed on the facts. While there has been discussion about privatizing the brand or moving it back under the U.S. DOE — where it was once housed — these solutions are purely speculation and have not been confirmed or approved.

Please feel free to reach out to NMG with any questions.