Six home appliances that have taken heat from Biden’s regulatory crackdown

The Biden administration has made tightening efficiency standards for home appliances a goal as it has built its climate agenda during the last four years.

“Making common household appliances more efficient is one of the most effective ways to lower energy costs and reduce harmful carbon emissions,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who has led efforts to push households to adopt green energy alternatives.

However, energy experts and manufacturers have warned that the Biden administration’s regulations would lead to more expensive and far less efficient appliances than current models.

“What these mandates do, what these standards do is enforce a level of efficiency that doesn’t make sense,” said Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “And they compromise the quality of the product. We’ve already seen that to some extent with the cost of washing machine standards.”

1. Washing machines

The Department of Energy (DOE) introduced a final rule in February that imposed stricter energy standards for residential clothes washers (RCWs), such as clothes washers and clothes dryers.

HOUSE PREPARED TO CHALLENGE BIDEN’S GREEN ENERGY RULES FOR WASHERS WITH FREEDOM TO FLAG BILL VOTE

According to the regulations, some less efficient models of washing machines and dryers would be prohibited from being soldaccording to DOE.

The department projected that the energy standards would collectively save American households $2.2 billion a year in utility bills, while reducing nearly 71 million metric tons of “dangerous carbon dioxide emissions” over the next three decades.

However, the Association of Appliance Manufacturers argued that the DOE’s washing machine regulations “would have a disproportionately negative impact on low-income households” by removing cheaper appliances from the market.

“Despite misleading claims to the contrary, these proposals serve no other purpose than to promote innovation and keep money in the pockets of Americans everywhere without sacrificing the reliability and performance that consumers expect and trust.” , an Energy Department spokesman told Fox. Digital news. “As evidenced by the Department’s testing and analysis, the proposed rules would not reduce product performance or adversely affect cleaning ability or cycle time.”

2. Refrigerator/Air conditioning

In 2023, EPA finalized a rule to accelerate the transition to more advanced cooling and refrigeration technologies that do not use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and proposed a second rule to manage HFCs in existing products. HFCs are common chemicals in household appliances, such as refrigeration, heating and air conditioning units.

The rule, which will enter into force in 2025, aims to phase out HFCs to achieve an 85% reduction by 2036.

But manufacturers privately predicted the regulation would raise prices by as much as 20 percent, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

3. Gas cookers

In February 2023, the DOE issued a proposal to target gas stoves, which was expected to go into effect in 2027 and affect 50% of current gas stove models.

Under the 2023 proposal, the DOE would have banned the future sale of gas stoves that consume more than 1,204,000 kBtu per year.

Restaurant owners have been outraged by potential regulations banning gas stoves.

“Most restaurants in New York City use gas. It’s the most common stove in a high-volume kitchen,” Peter Petti, executive chef at Upper East Side restaurant Sojourn, told the New York Post. “Gas allows us to do our jobs efficiently.”

After facing backlash of the Republicans and consumer advocacy groups, the DOE issued its final rule, which will affect 3 percent of gas stove models, instead of the initial 50 percent.

4. Light bulbs

The Biden administration doubled the efficiency standards for light bulbs, forcing manufacturers to raise the levels of common light bulbs from 45 lumens per watt to more than 120 lumens per watt, an increase of nearly 170%. Only LED bulbs will be able to meet the standards, not compact fluorescent bulbs.

The DOE suggested the regulations will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by cutting 70 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next three decades.

When it takes effect in 2028, the rule will remove most of the currently available LEDs from the market and raise the average price of the remaining ones from $2.98 to an estimated $5.68, an increase of $2.70 per bulb, according to Lieberman .

Results from a residential energy consumption survey indicate that less than half of households reported using LEDs as their primary or exclusive lighting source.

5. Ovens

The DOE implemented efficiency standards ban new non-condensing gas furnaces by 2028, requiring unheated gas furnaces to achieve an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 95%.

The American Gas Association, the American Public Gas Association, the National Propane Gas Association and the manufacturer Thermo Products filed a lawsuit against the DOE, alleging that costs could increase for 30 percent of households just by to elderly people, 26% of low-income households and 27% of small ones. business consumers if the regulation came into force.

“Yesterday, the Biden administration finalized a rule that would effectively ban natural gas furnaces and other gas furnaces found in more than half of America’s homes,” said AGA Vice President of Markets, energy analysis and standards, Richard Meyer, at The National Desk. a statement “Five years from now, around Christmas 2028, if you have to replace your gas furnace, you may be charged hundreds if not thousands of dollars in additional costs to upgrade that equipment to meet this rule.”

6. Ceiling fans

The Biden administration modified its energy conservation standards, implementing stricter energy standards for ceiling fans.

According to a DOE analysis, the new rules would save households about $39 over the life of the new energy-efficient fan, Fox Business. previously informed.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The regulation faced backlash from the House Small Business Committee, which said in a letter to the DOE secretary that it could put 10 percent to 30 percent of small-scale ceiling fan manufacturers out of business. companies

Biden’s home appliance regulations could soon be in jeopardy, com President-elect Donald Trump he is expected to overturn much of the current administration’s climate agenda when he assumes the presidency in 2025.

Matteo Cina of Fox News contributed to this report.