NW Valley Times

U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) has introduced the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, a legislation aimed at reforming the U.S. Department of Energy's procedures for issuing energy efficiency standards for home appliances. The bill seeks to prevent the DOE from imposing new or amended energy efficiency standards that are not technologically feasible and economically justified.

According to Congresswoman Lesko, the Biden Administration has been imposing an excessive number of regulations on household products, including stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, showers, toilets, water heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces. Lesko believes that these regulations not only restrict consumer choice but also increase costs for middle-class families.

Lesko's bill aims to protect American consumers by implementing several key policies. Firstly, it requires any new energy efficiency standard to be cost-effective for consumers. Additionally, the proposal mandates actual savings for any new standard, either through a ten percent reduction in energy or water usage or a reduction of overall energy usage in the country of over thirty quads over a 30-year period. Lastly, the bill prevents the federal government from banning household appliances based on the type of fuel they use.

The Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act has already made progress in Congress. A discussion draft of the bill was passed favorably out of the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security last month. It now awaits passage in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In support of her bill, Congresswoman Lesko stated, "My bill will stop federal bureaucrats from banning popular models of appliances and products in our homes and raising costs for middle-class families. I am proud to again stand on the side of choice for American consumers."

Lesko's legislation represents a crucial step in preserving consumer choice and affordability when it comes to home appliances. As the bill moves forward in Congress, it remains to be seen how it will be received by lawmakers and industry stakeholders.

To find out more, go to this link: https://lesko.house.gov/2023/11/lesko-stands-up-for-consumer-choice-in-appliances