The District Appliance Efficiency Standards (DAES) program was created to save District of Columbia residents and businesses money on utility bills, and help meet the District’s energy and climate goals described in the Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan and Clean Energy DC Plan. The Standards were established in the Energy Efficiency Standards Act of 2007, and updated in the Energy Efficiency Standards Amendment Act of 2020.
Since 2007, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and installers have had obligations to ensure covered appliances and equipment in the District meet or exceed the efficiency standards.
- Manufacturers: For all new covered products sold, leased, rented, or offered for sale, lease, or rent the District:
- Manufacturers must certify to DOEE that their products meet or exceed the applicable standards. DOEE accepts certification via the State Appliance Standards Database (SASD) for most products. Products that must meet California efficiency standards and be certified through the California’s Modernized Appliance Efficiency Standards Database System (MAEDbS) will be automatically uploaded to SASD and do not require further certification. See product pages for further information on how to certify each product.
- Manufacturers must apply a mark, label, or tag on each product or the packaging that identifies the product as in compliance with the standards.
- Distributors: Distributors must ensure that all new covered products meet or exceed the standards that are distributed to retailers, or directly to end users and installers, that will be sold, leased, rented, offered for sale, lease, or rent, or installed in the District.
- Retailers: Retailers must ensure that all new covered products sold within the District meet or exceed the standards.
- Installers: Anyone installing new covered products must ensure they meet or exceed the standards. Note: The DC Construction Codes also require covered products to meet the same standards.
The Appliance Efficiency Standards cover the following 15 appliance and fixture categories:
- Air Purifiers (preempted): See our FAQs
- Commercial Dishwashers
- Commercial Fryers
- Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets
- Commercial Steam Cookers
- Computers & Computer Monitors
- Faucets (Residential kitchen and lavatory faucets, and public lavatory faucets)
- High-Color Rendering Index, low-temperature, & impact resistant fluorescent lamps
- Metal Halide lamp fixtures (preempted): See our FAQs
- Portable Electric Spas
- Residential Ventilating Fans
- Showerheads
- Single-voltage external AC to DC power supplies (preempted): See our FAQs
- Spray-sprinkler bodies
- State-regulated general service lamps (preempted): See our FAQs
- State-regulated incandescent reflector lamps (preempted): See our FAQs
- Urinals & Water Closets
- Walk-in refrigerators or freezers (preempted): See our FAQs
- Water-coolers
- View the Energy Efficiency Standards Act as amended can is
- View frequently asked questions and information on products with federal standards.
- For status updates on guidance and rulemaking
If you have question about the District Appliance Efficiency Standards program, or if you wish to report a noncompliant product, please contact: [email protected]