First it was gas stoves. Now, the Biden administration is going after water heaters, proposing new regulations to try to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions.
Republican lawmakers have already criticized a new proposal being put forth by the Department of Energy that would put stringent requirements on water heaters.
A draft rule that was released on Friday revealed that the Biden administration wants to compel almost all electric water heaters that use technology that integrates heat pumps as well as those powered by gas to utilize condensing technology.
This new proposal comes only a few months after the White House tried to pass new regulations on stove tops.
In a statement, Jennifer Granholm, the energy secretary, said:
“Today’s actions – together with our industry partners and stakeholders – improve outdated efficiency standards for common households appliances, which is essential to slashing utility bills for American families and cutting harmful carbon emissions.”
The plan would go into effect by 2029. The Biden administration has estimated that it would save $198 billion as well as slash carbon dioxide emissions by 501 million metric tons over a 30-year period.
Minimum efficiency standards would be increased for all regular water heaters that are oil-fired and gas-fired, as well as instantaneous ones that are also gas-fired. Federal officials said that the efficiency measures would save $570 billion in the next 30 years.
Granholm added:
“This proposal reinforces the trajectory of consumer savings that forms the key pillar of Bidenomics and builds on the unprecedented actions already taken by this administration to lower energy costs for working families across the nation.”
The Energy Department added that heating water comprises 23% of the total utility costs for consumers as well as annual energy use in the residential sector. The department has to produce efficiency standards, as required by Congress, and it says that the last time the policy for water heaters was updated was back in 2010.
While the Biden administration touted all the different financial and energy efficiency benefits of the plan, conservatives took a much different stance on the matter.
Representative Thomas Massive of Kentucky tweeted:
“Leave us alone. These products already exist in the free market. Consumers should decide whether the upfront cost of a heat-pump water heater is worth the possible long term savings. In many cases, the monthly savings never make up for the upfront cost of the equipment.”
And David Blackmon, who’s a contributor to Forbes, tweeted:
“First they came for your gas stoves. Then they came for your dishwashers. Next they came for your water heaters and air conditioners. Now the Biden appartchiks are coming for your portable gas generators.”
As he pointed out, the Biden administration is honing in on setting new standards for many major common household appliances, all of which could actually increase short-term costs on millions of American families.
Even if the White House were correct in all the long-term savings, there’s still no clear care for how this all affects the everyday American now.
