In Lake Wobegon, every child is above average. Under the Energy Star program, the same can be said of appliances.

In 2008, the most recent year for which the government has data, 79 percent of all the televisions sold in the United States carried the Energy Star logo. Same with dehumidifiers (75 percent) and dishwashers (67 percent).

Instead of recognizing only high-performing products, it appears the program often gave the same star to the first-rate and the middle-of-the-road.

In addition, a report from a government auditor in November found that some products without the mark were more energy-efficient than some showing the Energy Star logo. It concluded that there was a problem at the heart of the wildly popular program.