The Biden administration has made tightening efficiency standards for household appliances a target as he’s built out his climate agenda over the past four years.
“Making common household appliances more efficient is one of the most effective ways to slash energy costs and cut harmful carbon emissions,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, who has spearheaded efforts to push households to adopt green energy alternatives, said in a statement.
However, energy experts and manufacturers have warned that the Biden administration’s regulations would lead to more expensive household appliances that are far less effective than current models.
“What these mandates – 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 product quality. We’ve already seen this to an extent with the cost of clothes washer standards.”
1. Washing machines
The Department of Energy (DOE) introduced a final rule in February imposing stricter energy standards for residential clothes washers (RCWs), such as washing machines and clothes dryers.
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President Joe Biden speaks at a “Christmas Dinner for All” in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg)
Under the regulations, certain less-efficient models of washers and dryers would be barred from being sold, according to DOE.
The department projected that the energy standards would collectively save American households $2.2 billion per year on utility bills while reducing nearly 71 million metric tons of “dangerous carbon dioxide emissions” over the next three decades.
However, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers argued that DOE’s washing machine regulations “would have a disproportionate, negative impact on low-income households” by eliminating cheaper appliances from the market.
“Despite misleading claims to the contrary, these proposals are intended for nothing more than promoting innovation and keeping money in the pockets of Americans everywhere without sacrificing the reliability and performance that consumers expect and rely on,” a spokesperson for the Department of Energy told Fox News Digital. “As evidenced in the Department’s testing and analysis, the proposed standards would not reduce product performance or negatively impact cleaning ability or cycle time.”
2. Refrigerators/Air conditioners
In 2023, the EPA finalized a rule to accelerate a transition to more advanced refrigeration and cooling technologies that don’t use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and proposed a second rule to manage HFCs in existing products. HFCs are chemicals common in household appliances, such as refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning units.
The rule, set to go into effect in 2025, aims to phase out HFCs to achieve an 85% reduction by 2036.
But manufacturers reportedly privately predicted that the regulation would increase prices up to 20%, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Burn on a natural gas-burning stove. (Scott Olson)
3. Gas stoves
In February 2023, the DOE issued a proposal to target gas-powered stovetops, which was set to take effect in 2027 and affect 50% of current gas stove models.
Under the 2023 proposal, DOE would have banned the future sale of gas stoves that consume more than 1,204 thousand kBtu per year.
Restaurant owners have fumed over potential gas stove ban regulations.
“The majority of New York City restaurants 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 lets us do our job efficiently.”
After facing pushback from Republicans and consumer advocacy groups, the DOE issued its final regulations, which will impact 3% of gas stove models, rather than the initial 50%.
4. Light bulbs
The Biden administration doubled efficiency standards for light bulbs, requiring manufacturers to raise the levels for common light bulbs from 45 lumens per watt to more than 120 lumens per watt, a nearly 170% increase. Only LED bulbs will be able to comply with the standards, not compact fluorescent bulbs.
The DOE suggested that the regulations will slash greenhouse gas pollution by cutting 70 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next three decades.
A shelf stocked with incandescent light bulbs at the City Lights Light Bulb Store in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan)
When it takes effect in 2028, the rule will knock most currently available LEDs off the market and increase 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 fewer than half of households reported using LEDs as their primary or exclusive lighting source.
5. Furnaces
The DOE implemented efficiency regulations to prohibit new non-condensing gas furnaces by 2028, by requiring that non-weatherized gas furnaces achieve an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 95%.
The American Gas Association, American Public Gas Association, National Propane Gas Association and manufacturer Thermo Products filed a lawsuit against DOE, claiming that costs could increase for 30% of senior-only households, 26% of low-income households and 27% of small business consumers if the regulation were to go into effect.
A new Carrier natural gas furnace at a residential home in Spanish Fork, Utah, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (George Frey)
“Yesterday, the Biden administration finalized a rule that would effectively ban natural gas furnaces and other gas furnaces that are found in more than half of U.S. households,” AGA Vice President of Energy Markets, Analysis, and Standards Richard Meyer told The National Desk in a statement. “In five years, around Christmas 2028, if you have to replace your gas furnace, you may be saddled with hundreds if not thousands of dollars of additional costs to upgrade that equipment to comply with this rule.”
6. Ceiling fans
The Biden administration amended its energy conservation standards, putting into effect stricter energy standards for ceiling fans.
According to an analysis from the DOE, the new rules would save households about $39 over the lifespan of the new energy-efficient fan, Fox Business previously reported.
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The regulation faced backlash from the House Small Business Committee, which claimed in a letter to the DOE secretary that it could put between 10% and 30% of small business ceiling fan manufacturers out of business.
Biden’s appliance regulations could soon be in jeopardy, as President-elect Donald Trump is expected to overturn much of the current administration’s climate agenda when he assumes the presidency in 2025.
Fox News’ Matteo Cina contributed to this report.
