The Biden administration has proposed imposing energy efficiency standards for residential water heaters, a move that it said will help consumers save $11.4 billion every year and combat climate change.
The proposed rule would require that the most common-sized electric water heaters use heat pump technology, and gas-fired instantaneous water heaters use condensing technology to achieve energy efficiency.
The United States last updated its energy efficiency standards for water heaters in 2010.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said the rule builds on consensus-based recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders and would apply to new water heater models starting in 2029 if finalized.
The standards are expected to reduce 501 million metric tons of harmful carbon dioxide emissions over a span of 30 years, equivalent to the combined annual emissions of 50 percent of homes in the United States….