In our September 2009 story "
Freezers: Energy Savings Are Not a Sure Thing," we reported that the Haier HUF138EA (shown) used 70 percent more energy than stated on its EnergyGuide label, consumption that we believed exceeded the federal government's allowable energy use and would preclude it from qualifying for Energy Star. What's more, we called this freezer a Don't Buy: Performance Problem because neither of the two HUF138EAs we tested reached 0°F in our energy test.
Yesterday, the
U.S. Department of Energy announced the results of an investigation into the energy-use issue with the HUF138EA and three other Haier freezers and said that it had entered into a consent decree with the Chinese manufacturer.
The Department of Energy found that the HUF138EA, HUF168EA, HUF138PB, and HUF168PB not only use more energy than the manufacturer claimed but also might consume more energy than allowed by federal standards and Energy Star criteria. The HUF138EA and HUF168EA are Energy Star qualified.
"Enhanced energy efficiency is a national priority, and DOE will continue to vigorously enforce energy-efficiency standards and Energy Star criteria," said Scott Blake Harris, the Energy Department's general counsel.
As part of its agreement with the Energy Department, Haier must notify owners of the affected models and repair the appliances; extend the freezers' warranty by a year; and pay $150,000 to the U.S. Treasury. Before the agreement, Haier had stopped distribution of the affected freezers, which were sold from December 2008 to August 2009.
Haier says a defective part was to blame for the energy-use problem. Test data Haier provided to the Department of Energy shows that the repair fixes the problem and that the freezers meet federal energy-use standards, according to a DOE spokesperson. We hope to test a modified freezer and will report on our findings.
If you own an affected freezer, call Haier (877-337-3639) for repair information. The company says it will also post a notice on
www.haieramerica.com.
—
Kimberly Janeway
