Feds Approving Bogus Products as 'Energy-Efficient,' Investigation Finds

Fox News ^ | April 2, 2010

[Cheap_Hessian]

The federal government has been slapping "energy-efficient" ratings on products that don't even exist -- including a bogus space heater with a duster stuck to it and an alarm clock supposedly powered by gasoline.

These fake products were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy for approval as part of an undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office.

The office wanted to see how easily the feds could be duped, since the Energy Star program used to identify products as energy savers serves as a guide to businesses looking for such modern marvels and the basis for millions of dollars in incentivizing tax credits -- including $300 million from the stimulus.

The products fooled the federal government three out of four times. Of the 20 products submitted for approval, 15 were given the thumbs up. GAO reported that the federal government generally did not ask for critical evidence to back up its claims about how energy-efficient -- or real -- its bogus products were.

[Bahbah]

That’s okay. Their real expertise is in making medical decisions.

[Cheap_Hessian]

Ha, that made me chuckle.

[Bahbah]

Good. We need all of the chuckles we can get :)

[knarf]

y’know ... like ... carbon credits.

[ScreamingFist]

The government also approved a "metal roof panel," a "geothermal heat pump," and a "gas-powered alarm clock." The latter was described as a generator-sized clock run on gasoline

You can't even make this stuff up.....it's like SciFi, but it costs us billions.

[mlocher]

a bogus space heater with a duster stuck to it and an alarm clock supposedly powered by gasoline.

I am going to submit my perpetual motion machine....

[savage woman]

Dry sense of humor - love it...

[Cheap_Hessian]

Ping!

[alloysteel]

REAL economy of operation is getting the same task completed for less expenditure, be it in energy or dollars.

People stopped using horses and turned to gasoline-powered vehicles for work and pleasure, simply because the gasoline-powered vehicle was easier to clean up after, and demanded less grooming and day-to-day care. Sure, the gasoline was more expensive in unit costs than the hay and grain fed to the horse, but while the gasoline-powered vehicle sat idle, it was not metabolizing its fuel supply.

And making road apples.

[Doogle]

...wonder what Senator got a bundle of money?

[Einherjar]

“it`s not easy being green “ Kermit The frog

[Psycho_Bunny]

The audacity of incompetence.

[Bahbah]

:)

As Tom Dashle once said, old people are just going to have to accept the infirmities of old age, or something to that effect.

[cripplecreek]

I wonder what proportion of them are General Electric products.

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx !

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[tiki]

Gotta have that air cleaner/heater!

[tiki]

Don’t you just love to wake to the smell of gasoline in the morning?

[cajuncow]

I think this one fell under the solar-powered breast implant category.

[microgood]

These fake products were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy for approval as part of an undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office.

There is not enough money in the world to find all the incompetence in our government. And studies like this often result in the creation of more bureaucracy, which makes the agency less competent in accomplishing its stated mission.

I say let them keep stamping everything as energy star. I think it would be cool to submit a humv with a solar panel on it.