An audit by the Government Accountability Office found that it's incredibly easy to secure an Energy Star label from the government, throwing the 18-year-old program's value into question.

This is depressing. An audit by the Government Accountability Office found that it's incredibly easy to secure an Energy Star label from the government, throwing the 18-year-old program's value into question.

The New York Times reports that in a nine-month study, four fictitious companies invented by the above accountability office sought Energy Star status for dehumidifiers, heat pumps, and even some comical devices like a gasoline-powered alarm clock and a space heater with a feather duster on top.

Most of these devices won approval, despite only existing on paper and having less-than-green specifications. For example, not only does a gasoline-powered alarm clock sound ridiculous to begin with, but it even had the dimensions (again, on paper) of an electric generator.

In addition, the investigation found that once a company registered as an Energy Star partner, they could download the proper logo and psate it on products even without winning approval. Auditors concluded that the program was "highly vulnerable to fraud," according to the report.