Energy Department disappears website’s energy-saving tips as costs soar

The Department of Energy has taken down more than 1,600 pages from its Energy Saver section, a part of its website that offered practical advice for cutting home energy use. Among the pages removed were guides on doing your own home energy check for air leaks and poor insulation, help finding a professional for a home energy assessment, tips on efficient appliances, and advice on setting your thermostat to save money, including guidance to keep it between 75 and 78 degrees in summer. The pages were gone by July 3, right around a heat wave, and had gotten roughly 160,000 views in the month before they disappeared.

The removal came just after the agency proposed a rule to "permanently end" federal efficiency mandates for household appliances. The agency has not explained why the pages were taken down, and information about the actual appliance standards program remains on the site. But the timing has drawn scrutiny, especially since it followed public criticism of a New York City heat-wave request to set air conditioners to 78 degrees.

For homeowners, this doesn't change any rebate program or deadline, but it does mean one source of free, straightforward guidance on cutting energy bills — DIY energy checks, thermostat tips, appliance shopping advice — is no longer available on the federal site. If you relied on those pages, you'll need to find similar advice elsewhere, such as through your state energy office or utility.