While congressional leaders haven't moved forward on major climate legislation, they have gained much better field position with several smaller energy-efficiency measures. Just yesterday, for example, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held hearings on The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S. 1000), introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH). The bi-partisan bill would toughen current standards for several major appliances, strengthen building codes to make homes and businesses more efficient, and expand the use of energy conservation techniques within the federal government.

“At a time when many families and business owners are struggling to balance their checkbooks, this bipartisan effort to advance the use of energy efficiency technologies in homes and businesses will allow consumers to cut their energy costs while preserving consumer choice and affordability,” said Shannon Baker-Branstetter, policy counsel for Consumers Union. “With the improvements proposed in this legislation, there is huge potential to save consumers billions of dollars on their energy bills and improve comfort and quality construction in their homes.”

While S. 1000 met little opposition during yesterday's Senate hearing, a companion bill has yet to be written in the House. But given its broad support from industry and consumer groups alike, the measure has a great shot at eventually becoming law. In the meantime, some appliance manufacturers continue to take it upon themselves to be leaders in energy efficiency. For example, in our latest refrigerator review, we highlighted several models that exceed current federal efficiency standards by 30 percent; Energy Star-qualified models, by comparison, must be at least 20 percent more efficient.

Federal standards are first and foremost about creating a minimum level of efficiency that all appliances must meet. But indirectly, they also help create competition between manufacturers that ends up spurring innovation. We see that not just with refrigerators, but with many appliances we test, including air conditioners, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, washing machines, and more. Check our Ratings to see which models combine high efficiency with top performance.