Trump's plan to eliminate Energy Star could raise utility bills for American families, experts say

Bottom line: The Energy Star program was introduced by a Republican president in 1992. Now, a new Republican administration appears poised to shut it down for good. While the Trump administration speaks of organizational improvements, industry representatives are warning politicians about the dire consequences their actions could have on households budgets.

Internal sources at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report that the administration plans to kill the Energy Star program. After serving as a "gold standard" of sorts for power efficiency in the US and elsewhere in the world, the familiar blue Energy Star label may soon vanish from the market. The reason, US representatives dared to say, is government efficiency.

The Energy Star program was launched by the first Bush Administration in 1992 to promote energy efficiency and help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. It operates through a voluntary partnership between government and industry. According to the EPA, Energy ...