DOE Rule to Speed Up Dishwasher Cycle Times a Big Win for Consumers

The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a final rule to address the problem of slow dishwashers. The idea originated with a March 2018 petition by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) requesting a formal rulemaking.

Slower cycle times resulted from government regulations supposedly aimed at increasing energy efficiency. CEI’s petition argues these regulations have harmed consumers, wasting huge amounts of people’s time and making life miserable for families. The average dishwasher cycle today is more than 2 hours, while decades ago it was one hour.

The final rule from DOE says:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) received a petition from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) to define a new product class under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), for standard residential dishwashers with a cycle time for the normal cycle of less than one hour from washing through drying. Based upon its evaluation of the petition and careful consideration of the public comments, DOE granted CEI’s petition and proposed a dishwasher product class with a cycle time for the normal cycle of less than one hour. In this final rule, DOE establishes a new product class for standard residential dishwashers with a cycle time for the normal cycle of one hour (60 minutes) or less from washing through drying. DOE’s decision to establish the new product class is based on its evaluation of CEI’s petition, the comments the Department received in response to the petition and the proposed rule to establish the new product class, as well as additional testing and evaluation conducted by the Department. This rulemaking only sets out the basis for the new product class. DOE intends to determine the specific energy and water consumption limits for the product class in a separate rulemaking.

CEI General Counsel Sam Kazman said:

​​”Dishwashers have long been recognized as one of the most disastrous examples of overregulated appliances.  While bureaucrats claimed to be acting in the public interest, they did exactly the opposite, turning what was once a dependable, affordable appliance into a standing joke for anyone trying to run a household.  It seemed that the dishwasher rules were written by people who ate out a lot.  We are glad to see the Dept. of Energy grant CEI’s petition over environmentalist and industry opposition, so that consumers can once again make their own choices about what is and isn’t important in their daily lives.”

CEI attorney Devin Watkins said:

“The Trump administration has listened to the Dishwasher Rebellion, a flood of consumers who asked for a faster dishwasher in response to CEI’s proposal. Allowing consumers to choose the dishwasher that works for them upholds the principles of freedom and liberty. This should make all Americans happy.”

Read more:

• WSJ: The Dishwasher Rebellion
• Department of Energy Finalizes Process Rule for Appliance Efficiency Standards

Sam Kazman

Devin Watkins

The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a final rule to address the problem of slow dishwashers. The idea originated with a March 2018 petition by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) requesting a formal rulemaking. Slower cycle times resulted from government regulations supposedly aimed at increasing energy efficiency. CEI’s petition argues these regulations have harmed consumers, wasting huge amounts of people’s time and making life miserable for families. The average dishwasher cycle today is more than 2 hours, while decades ago it was one hour.