POLITICS
Could the new Biden water heater ban drive up energy prices?
A Biden administration ban on certain natural gas water heaters as part of the lame duck president’s climate agenda could send prices soaring.
If the policy takes effect, as it is slated to on March 11, a little less than 40% of the tankless water heaters currently on the market would be banned, according to an estimate from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.
The finalized rule is the latest move the Biden administration has made to restrict household appliances and vehicles in an effort to cut down on emissions.
“The object of these rules is to reduce consumption of natural gas, a goal of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, signed into law when America had to import oil and natural gas. Now, however, America is one of the world’s largest energy producers,” The Heritage Foundation’s Diana Furchtgott-Roth wrote in The Daily Signal. “The law is outdated and should be repealed.”
“DOE’s estimate of increased cost to customers is not reflective of real-world situations, with direct pricing information from a manufacturer suggesting that the difference in average product price alone is approximately $450 – 200% greater than the $231 difference claimed by DOE to justify the rule. Moreover, the customers most likely to opt for more affordable non-condensing water heaters tend to be low-income and senior households,” Agen said.
