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January 2007
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Report, Recommendation

Switch Green: Energy Star Appliance Feebate

Published by: David Suzuki Foundation
Authored by: Nic Rivers, Jotham Peters

Cities, Climate solutions decarbonization, commercial products, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, policy and regulation, chemicals and toxins, water systems

906 KB

This 38-page report explains how the government could reduce energy consumption by offering consumer rebates on Energy Star appliances and levying fees on inefficient devices. This revenue-neutral policy would reduce annual household energy consumption by 1,440 gigawatt-hours — the equivalent of taking 120,000 homes off the electricity grid — and greenhouse gas emissions by 275,000 tonnes each year. Some appliances use 50 per cent more energy than others to do the same job — there’s no difference in how well they clean clothes or wash dishes. Efficiency allows us to get the same quality of lifestyle and the same utility from a smaller amount of energy. It’s a no brainer!

Making it easier to buy energy efficient appliances has many benefits: reductions in greenhouse gases, savings on utility bills, reduced demand for coal-fired electrical plants and less impact on the environment. Switch Green: Energy Star Appliance Feebate, calls for a simple policy shift to make the most efficient machines more affordable.

Following its recommendations would cost government nothing but would have dramatic positive implications for the environment, including:

  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 275,000 tonnes per year
  • Reducing the pollutants that cause smog
  • Reducing household energy costs by $80 million annually
  • Reducing water consumption
  • Maintaining a revenue-neutral outcome for government
Document cover

Related resources

Cities, Climate solutions
December 2005

Drive Green: Company Car Tax Shift

Nic Rivers, Rose Murphy, Mark Jaccard, Paulus Mau

A groundbreaking policy proposal to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by encouraging employees to drive more fuel efficient company cars.

Read More

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© 2023 David Suzuki Foundation. Website by Briteweb

© 2023 David Suzuki Foundation. Website by Briteweb