Maine Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Standards
Maine prohibits the sale of inefficient appliances and equipment starting January 1, 2023, covering products like light bulbs, water dispensers, plumbing fixtures, computers, and spas—ensuring you won't accidentally buy wasteful models that raise utility costs. The rules also set efficiency minimums for water use (e.g., toilets limited to 1.28 gallons per flush) and lighting performance (45 lumens per watt for general service lamps), so compliant products perform well while saving energy and water.
Contractors and retailers must ensure all appliances and equipment sold in Maine meet state efficiency standards effective January 1, 2023, for eight product categories and January 1, 2027, for seven additional commercial categories (including commercial dishwashers, fryers, ovens, and ventilating fans). Products must be manufactured after the effective date and tested to specified standards—Chapter 180 of Maine's rules details exact efficiency metrics, definitions, and test procedures for each product class.
Maine's appliance efficiency standards (06-096 C.M.R. ch. 180) became effective November 3, 2022, and enforce product-level efficiency requirements aligned with state greenhouse gas reduction goals. The program targets residential and commercial products in two phases: eight categories effective January 1, 2023, and seven commercial categories effective January 1, 2027; standards reference federal test procedures and ENERGY STAR specifications, ensuring market transformation by eliminating low-efficiency products before they enter the supply chain. Administration is handled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection Air Quality Division.
Program details
- Program ID
- 22539
- Last updated
- 1/3/2026
Eligibility
Program summary
Note: The federal government has imposed and updated appliance efficiency standards through several legislative acts,* and now has standards in place or under development for 30 classes of products. In general, states which had set standards prior to federal action may enforce their own standards until the federal standards take effect. States that had not set standards prior to federal action must use the federal standards. This summary addresses (1) state appliance standards that will be in place until the federal standards take effect and (2) products for which the federal government is not currently developing an efficiency standard. Much of the information in this summary comes from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). Visit the ASAP web site and the U.S. Department of Energy's Appliance and Equipment Standards site for comprehensive information about appliance standards.
Maine adopted appliance efficiency standards for a range of products, which are prohibited from sale starting January 1, 2023, if certain requirements are not met. The following products are impacted and included under :
- (1) Computers and computer monitors;
- (2) General service lamps;
- (3) Commercial hot food holding cabinets;
- (4) Plumbing fittings that are showerheads, lavatory faucets, kitchen faucets, public lavatory faucets, metering faucets, kitchen replacement aerators and lavatory replacement aerators;
- (5) Plumbing fixtures that are water closets and urinals;
- (6) Portable electric spas;
- (7) Spray sprinkler bodies; and
- (8) Water dispensers.
Beginning on January 1, 2027, the following products and appliances manufactured on or after January 1, 2027, are prohibited from sale if they do not meet efficiency requirements:
- (1) Commercial battery chargers;
- (2) Commercial dishwashers;
- (3) Commercial food steamers;
- (4) Commercial fryers;
- (5) Commercial ovens;
- (6) Computer server power supplies; and
- (7) Residential ventilating fans.
Contact & resources
- Contact email
- claire.briggs@maine.gov
- Additional resources
Please verify current program details with the administering agency before making any financial decisions.
