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To preserve consumer utility, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering a rule to establish separate product classes for top-loading residential clothes washers and consumer clothes dryers that offer a short cycle time as the normal cycle.  DOE would consider appropriate energy and water efficiency standards for such product classes, if adopted, in separate rulemakings.

Statement of Need:

In this action, DOE is considering separate product classes for residential clothes washers and consumer clothes dryers based on the cycle time required for a normal cycle to wash and dry clothing loads. DOE has determined that cycle time for residential clothes washers and clothes dryers is a performance-related feature under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) that could justify a higher or lower standard than what is applicable for other product classes of residential clothes washers and clothes dryers.  

This rule would allow manufacturers to innovate and provide products to consumers that can complete a wash or dry cycle quickly, to meet consumer demands for short clothes washer and dryer cycle time. The rule would establish separate product classes for residential clothes washers and clothes dryers with cycle times of less than 30 minutes (45 minutes for front-loading clothes washers).  

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

This proposed rule would not establish any energy conservation standards for residential clothes washers or clothes dryers. Because this proposed rule would establish new product classes only for short-cycle clothes washers and clothes dryers, DOE does not anticipate that this rule would result in costs or benefits.