Biden-Harris Administration Prohibits Low-Cost Water Heaters

The Biden-Harris administration is set to prohibit around 40% of existing tankless water heaters in the United States just ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, scheduled in less than two weeks.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that the new regulations released by Biden’s Department of Energy on December 26 will ban the sale of several new tankless, non-condensing gas water heaters starting in 2029 due to concerns over carbon dioxide emissions. The publication referenced an estimate from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, indicating that about 40% of tankless water heaters currently available would be restricted under the new regulations by the Biden-Harris administration.

Commenting on the Biden-Harris administration’s regulations regarding tankless water heaters, Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told The Washington Free Beacon, “It’s yet another instance of appliance regulation that increases costs and limits options. It eliminates an entire category of tankless water heaters, particularly the more affordable models.”

“This aligns with the climate change agenda,” Lieberman continued. “There seems to be a negative bias against natural gas appliances since natural gas is a fossil fuel, and there’s a push to electrify everything. When we observe problematic regulations from the Biden administration, they often connect back to climate change.”

The Washington Free Beacon reported that although the newly introduced regulations will pertain to both non-condensing and condensing gas water heaters, the efficiency requirements will be elevated to a point where only condensing gas water heaters can meet them. Consequently, the report noted, more affordable and less efficient gas water heaters will be prohibited.

The Washington Free Beacon also indicated that the Biden-Harris administration’s new regulations will lead to U.S. consumers facing an average increase of around $450 for a new gas water heater.

In a statement to Fox Business, Matthew Agen, the chief energy counsel for the American Gas Association, expressed that Biden’s new ban is “deeply concerning and irresponsible.”

Before the announcement of the new regulations, Agen told Fox Business, “The final rule violates the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which prevents the DOE from implementing standards that make a product with a specific performance characteristic unavailable.”

Agen added, “It is particularly troubling to compel low-income individuals and senior customers to pay significantly more upfront. The DOE’s decision to proceed with a flawed final rule is profoundly disappointing.”