Biden’s Gas Stove Rules Could Add 23 Hours to Pasta Cooking Time.

Trade Group Slams DOE’s Proposed Gas Stove Regulations

Industry Analysis Shows Americans Will Spend 23 Extra Hours Waiting for Water to Boil

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has criticized the Biden administration’s proposed gas stove regulations, calling them an attack on gas cooking appliances. The regulations, which are part of the administration’s push to confront the global climate crisis, would limit high-heat stove burners used for cooking tasks such as boiling water and searing meats. According to an industry analysis, without those burners, U.S. consumers would spend an extra seven minutes trying to boil more than one pot of water, resulting in about 23 additional hours per year waiting for water to boil under the regulations.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers says the limits on high-heat burners will decimate “people’s access to a safe and affordable cooking method that is preferred by millions of home cooks.” The DOE, however, argues that its stove regulations would merely “improve efficiency of gas and electric stoves.”

New York Becomes First State to Ban Gas Stoves in New Buildings

Last week, New York became the first state to ban gas stoves in new buildings, a policy that Democratic governor Kathy Hochul predicted would “eventually” apply nationwide. However, not all state and local governments have found success in their quest to ban natural gas. The first city to pass such a ban—Berkeley, California—saw the policy overturned by a federal appeals court last month.

Other Efficiency Regulations

In addition to its proposed gas stove rule, the Biden administration has released new efficiency regulations that would require washing machines to use considerably less water, a mandate that will significantly impact the ability to remove stains and clean clothes quickly. Biden’s Energy Department also finalized rules last year that ban the sale of certain light bulbs, and in February, it proposed new efficiency standards for refrigerators.

• The DOE is “required by Congress to review appliance energy conservation standards” and will work to “improve the efficiency of household appliances … without sacrificing the reliability and performance that consumers have come to rely on.”
• The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers highlights a December Energy Department test that saw 20 of 21 gas stove models fail to meet the rule’s standards.

Despite the Energy Department’s admission that its rule would limit the gas stove market, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has argued the rule does not amount to a “ban.” Liberal media outlets have used similar arguments to mock what Republicans called a “war on gas stoves,” dismissing those concerns earlier this year as part of an unfounded “right-wing freakout.”

However, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers says the rule’s impact on the gas stove market would be much more significant, and the DOE’s proposal would take us back to the kitchens of the past and burden consumers with longer cook times and less control.