(HorizonPost.com) – Last Friday, the Energy Department proposed new efficiency standards for water heaters, claiming it would save consumers $11.4 billion annually, Reuters reported.
The proposed standards would require most conventional electric water heaters to use heat-pump technology while gas-fired water heaters must use condensing technology.
According to the DoE, if finalized, the standards will apply to all new water heaters manufactured beginning in 2029.
In a statement last Friday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm claimed that the proposed changes would “improve outdated efficiency standards” while “slashing utility bills” and “cutting harmful carbon emissions.”
The Energy Department claims that the new efficiency standards are expected to save nearly $200 billion while reducing carbon emissions by over 500 million metric tons.
Congress requires the Energy Department to produce efficiency standards on household appliances. The efficiency standards for residential water heaters have not been updated since 2010.
According to the Energy Department, approximately 13 percent of annual residential energy use and utility costs stem from water heaters.
Granholm inexplicably boasted that the proposed efficiency standards build on the “unprecedented actions” the Biden administration has taken to “lower energy costs for working families.”
In recent months, the Energy Department has also proposed tightening efficiency standards on other household appliances, including washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners.
Earlier this year, a commissioner from the Consumer Product Safety Commission caused outrage after saying that a ban on gas stoves might be considered.
In June, the Republican-led House voted to block the federal government from banning gas stoves. However, the bill stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate
Late last year, the Biden administration boasted that it took 110 actions to expand energy efficiency rules in 2022 as part of its climate change agenda.
So far this year, the administration has issued proposed or finalized efficiency standards in 18 product categories.
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