ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday this Memorial Day Weekend

While many consumers in Texas know to take advantage of shopping the tax-free weekend for back-to-school shopping, not many realize there’s another shopping holiday that can save them from paying sales tax as well as lower energy usage and utility bills at the same time.

The ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday for 2025 will again be during Memorial Day weekend, and this year’s sale will begin May 24 and continue until May 26 (Memorial Day).

Lighting and appliances can account for up to a quarter of a home’s energy consumption in a typical residence. Most every appliance consumes energy, but trading up on newer ones that use less energy to execute the same amount of work can make an impact on energy usage. The sales tax holiday offers consumers a chance to save on their appliance purchases and energy dollars through the more efficient appliance.

ENERGY STAR® -rated appliances do the same work in a more efficient manner. The EnergyStar® program was created in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA later partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create a joint effort of energy efficiency through the EnergyStar® program. The program assists consumers in saving money and energy.

Qualifying products will display the ENERGY STAR® insignia, which will usually appear on the appliance itself or the packaging. Earning an EnergyStar® rating means a product meets stringent energy efficient standards set by the EPA and the DOE.

When comparing appliances, consumers should look at the Energy Guide label. All ENERGY STAR® -rated appliances must have a yellow Energy Guide label, said Seth Rosser, United’s Energy Solutions Manager.

“The energy guide label allows the consumer to compare apples to apples when it comes to appliances,” Rosser said. “And the consumer can view the estimated yearly energy use to compare which appliance is going to be more efficient.”

Appliances with a yellow energy guide label have been tested and verified by measures set forth by the DOE to attest the energy use of these products. Once the product has been tested and issued a label, manufacturers are required to display this information on their product. The Energy Guide label estimates the kilowatt-hour usage over a year’s time, and the estimated yearly operating cost based on a generic price per kilowatt hour.

The EnergyStar® products qualifying for the 2025 tax exemption are air conditioners priced at $6,000 or below; refrigerators priced at $2,000 or below; ceiling fans; clothes washers; dishwashers and dehumidifiers, according to the Texas Comptroller’s website.

Items that don’t qualify include water heaters; clothes dryers; freezers; stoves; attic fans; heat pumps; wine refrigerators; kegerators and beverage chillers.

ENERGY STAR® certified front load washers use about 45 percent less energy and 50 percent less water than a top load agitator washer, according to energystar.gov. In the past decade or so, top load impeller washers, which have a low-profile cone or disc instead of an agitator, have become popular as a more energy- and water-efficient option compared to traditional top load washers. However, compared to a top load impeller washer, front load washers are still about 25 percent more energy and 33 percent more water efficient.

Refrigeration is estimated to account for about three percent of energy consumption in a typical residence, and swapping a unit that is 10 years or older for an EnergyStar®-rated refrigerator can amount to valuable savings. On average, an old refrigerator uses about 35 percent more energy than a model that has earned the ENERGY STAR®.

“The most energy-efficient models are typically 16-20 cubic feet,” according to the Energy Star website. “Generally, the larger the refrigerator, the greater the energy consumption.”

All ENERGY STAR® rated appliances are listed on their website, along with valuable information on how they consume less energy. For more information regarding the ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday, please click here.

For other savings opportunities, members should contact their local United office to schedule a free home energy audit. United’s team of energy experts are well versed in United’s energy savings portfolio.