The U.S. government’s ENERGY STAR program is the poster child for the nation’s growing concern over more energy efficient products. The recognizable blue star symbol now appears on most household appliances – and a growing number of pet industry full-spectrum lighting products.

The ENERGY STAR program, which certifies a wide range of electrical devices, grew out of a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The agencies add their seal of approval to appliances that it finds “save money and protect the environment through energy efficiency.”

The program’s success is evidence of a growing and stable trend among the American public interested in saving green – of the environmental and paper kinds.

With the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved enough energy in 2007 to cut back greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 27 million cars off the road. They’ve also saved more than $16 billion on their monthly utility bills.

Pennies per appliance add up, fueling the expansion of ENERGY STAR to include pet-industry items. Look for the blue star to appear on an increasing number of full-spectrum lighting devices.

Already present on fixtures and bulbs prescribed to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder in humans, the program and the guidelines it imposes have proven that efficiency has little impact on the light’s quality or effectiveness.

Great news for consumers who want the best and most effective full-spectrum light for their reptiles, and great news for retailers looking for one more marketing tool for their arsenal. 

And what a powerful marketing tool the blue star has become. In the 10 years since the campaign’s launch, reports the EPA, more than 40 percent of the American public has learned what ENERGY STAR means and look for the seal when purchasing products for their home.

The program’s success is likely to continue as the government becomes more involved with manufacturers of electrical products. 

The ENERGY STAR Annual Report for 2006 sates that one of the program’s main goals for the future is to help, “overcome many of the market barriers to the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency products and services.” <HOME>