These regulations are sure to raise the price of appliances — often by more than consumers are ever likely to earn back in the form of energy savings. And some will make the product perform well.
The administration is meddling with every room in the house:
The Basement
New standards are in the works for water heaters and furnaces. For water heaters, the Energy Department estimates price hikes from $67 to $974, depending on size and type.
The Bathroom
The same 1992 law that gave us those awful low-flush toilets also restricted the amount of water showerheads could use to 2.5 gallons per minute. Some consumers who disliked the resulting weak trickle opted for models with two or more showerheads, each using the maximum 2.5 gallons. But Team Obama has now eliminated this “loophole” by requiring that the total flow must comply with the limit.
The Kitchen
Think remodeling a kitchen is expensive now? Pending regulations target refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, ovens and ranges.
For refrigerators (at least), this is a clear case of overkill. The American fridge has already been hit by several rounds of tighter standards, with each new rule saving less energy than the last — but boosting the price and compromising performance and reliability. Even the Energy Department admits that most consumers will lose money on its latest refrigerator regulation.
The Laundry Room
New standards are on the way for washers and dryers. When the last clothes-washer regulation hit in 2007, Consumer Reports lamented that several ultra-efficient models “left our stain-soaked swatches nearly as dirty as they were before washing” and that “for best results, you’ll have to spend $900 or more.” The Obama rules will probably mean even worse news.
Any Air-Conditioned Room
Both central air conditioners and window units are scheduled for new regulations. When the Energy Department rolled out its last round of central-AC rules back in January 2001 (one of those last-minute Clinton administration “midnight” regulations), it admitted that many homeowners would never recoup the added up-front costs. The new standards will follow the same “logic” — and thus should make for another lousy deal.
The Obama regulations come on top of all the past ones, including the worst one of all — the Bush-era requirement that will effectively ban incandescent light bulbs starting in 2012. 
(Read more from mises.org)