House to consider two bills that would place limits on federal appliance meddling

It is time for Congress to place limits on costly and intrusive federal meddling in home appliances. Two House bills coming up for a vote this week, H.R. 4626, the “Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act,” and H.R. 4758, the “Homeowner Energy Freedom Act,” would take major steps towards that goal. 

In 2023, the American people strongly objected to potential new restrictions on gas stoves. The Biden administration eventually backed away from its initial plans targeting stoves, but the underlying regulatory authority remains unchanged and could be used in the future. And beyond stoves, there are dozens of Department of Energy efficiency rules for nearly every other home appliance. Indeed, most appliances have been subjected to multiple rounds of increasingly tighter requirements over the years.

Many of these regulations have compromised appliance features, performance, reliability, and lifetimes. For example, dishwashers take a lot longer to clean a load of dishes, washing machines require more maintenance, and refrigerators do not last as long as they used to. 

Most of these rules have raised the upfront cost of appliances, often more than is likely to be earned back in the form of energy savings.

More such regulations are scheduled to take effect in the years ahead, including one that is estimated to raise the cost of electric water heaters by $953, gas furnaces by up to $867, and nearly double the price of new light bulbs.

The House will soon consider two bills to help address this federal appliance meddling. The Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act contains a number of useful reforms to constrain the regulatory excess. Perhaps most importantly, it would enable the Department of Energy to revisit the most troublesome appliance regulations already on the books and revise or repeal them. It would also raise the bar on any future appliance measures, especially ones likely to cost more than they save, compromise quality, or restrict consumer choice. The bill also prohibits climate change from being used as a rationale for such rules.

The Homeowner Energy Freedom Act also contains several useful provisions. Specifically, it would repeal programs from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that disfavor the use of natural gas appliances. It would also put an end to federal funding for Green New Deal-style changes to building codes that would raise home prices. 

In sum, these two bills would lower costs and expand consumer choice. They are very good news for current homeowners and even better news for those saving to afford their first home.