Residential Clothes Washers

This page describes rulemaking activities and regulations regarding energy efficiency for residential clothes washers.

Implementation of Large-Capacity Clothes Washer Waivers

On November 30, 2010, the Department of Energy invited interested parties to submit views on the proper application of waivers establishing alternative test procedures for existing large-capacity residential clothes washer models and units.

Based on comments received in response to the November 30, 2010 notice, DOE issued enforcement guidance on December 23, 2010. The notice includes guidance for the application of recently granted waivers for large-capacity clothes washers and announces steps to improve the waiver process.

For more information, please see the announcement from the DOE Office of the General Counsel.

Interpretive Rule

Guidance on what is considered the clothes container for purposes of measuring clothes container capacity has been finalized. DOE released a draft interpretive rule in May 2010 and reviewed the comments received. This is the final guidance.

Interpretive Rule

Guidance on current residential clothes washer test procedure to machines that offer a warm rinse option that is not included in the recommended cycle for washing cotton or linen clothes has been finalized. DOE released a draft interpretive rule on June 30, 2010 and reviewed the comments received. This is the final guidance.

Statutory Authority

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6291, et seq.) established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other than Automobiles, covering major household appliances including residential clothes washers. Later, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 amended EPCA by establishing energy conservation standards for residential clothes washers and requiring the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consider amending standards in two subsequent rulemakings. In 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) prescribed new standards for residential clothes washers and required that DOE consider amending these standards. DOE is currently developing a rulemaking to review and amend energy conservation standards for residential clothes washers pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(9)(B)(i).

Information on the developing rulemaking can be found below, under "Rulemakings Under Development." Documentation and materials associated with the prior rulemaking can also be found below.

Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Acrobat Reader.