Robert Neville wrote:
"Bill" wrote:

I don't know if Energy Star *required* A/C, refrigerator, and freezer
manufacturers to make their units more energy efficient

There are indeed minimum efficiency standards for appliances that are expressed
as Energy Star standards (ie SEER for A/Cs).

Our A/C -- installed by the previous owner in 2002 -- has a SEER rating
of 11 and apparently was one of the better ones in its day. Since 2006
it has been illegal to sell A/C in the USA with a SEER of less than 13,
and to get the new tax credit for energy-efficient appliances the
minimum SEER is 16. Some on the market now have a SEER of 20 or more.

Perce