In a move likely to stoke further frustrations of government overreach into American homes, the Biden administration has declared stringent environmental guidelines impacting dishwashers.
The Energy Department discreetly made public the stricter regulations for these domestic devices last week.
Regulations would reduce energy usage by 27% for dishwashers
These restrictions, which align with the administration’s climate change objectives, will drastically reduce water consumption by over a third and limit energy usage by 27% for dishwashers within the United States.
The revised guidelines would only apply to newly manufactured models available for purchase once the rules have officially been implemented, projected to be around 2027.
The updated regulations would require manufacturers to limit dishwasher water usage to 3.2 gallons per cycle, a significant decrease from the current federal limit of 5 gallons.
In addition, manufacturers will be required to decrease the energy usage of their products by nearly 30%.
Interestingly, most dishwashers currently available in the market already surpass the federal benchmark, with the majority utilizing 3.5 gallons per cycle or even less.
Read also: Biden’s New Regulations on Home Appliances Raise Concerns
Americans will ‘bear the real cost’
However, Jill Notini, representing the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, cautioned that average Americans would ultimately bear the financial burden of these new regulations.
“Ultimately, it’s the consumers who will bear the real cost. The Department of Energy is advocating for extremely stringent standards for home appliances, resulting in higher initial costs for consumers when buying a product.”
“Manufacturers simply want to provide high-quality, feature-rich products at prices that are accessible to consumers across all income levels. These proposals from the Department of Energy significantly impede this goal,” Notini further explained.
Biden admin says these plans will alleviate costs for Americans
Contrarily, officials from the administration assert that these plans will alleviate costs for American families and businesses while addressing the climate emergency.
Abgail Marone, an aide to Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri, charged the Biden administration with advancing “an extreme green energy agenda.”
She stated, “Leave our dishwashers alone.”
Biden admin continues to wage ‘war’ on domestic appliances
This move signifies the latest development in what is being labeled as the administration’s ‘war’ on domestic appliances in an effort to curtail emissions and conserve energy.
Earlier, Republicans expressed outrage when a Biden-appointed safety regulator hinted at the potential banning of gas stoves recognized as significant polluters.
Richard Trumka Jr., a CPSC commissioner, declared that “regulation of gas stoves has reached a critical juncture.”
Trumka insisted that the commission “has a duty to prohibit consumer products that emit hazardous substances, particularly when these emissions are harmful to children.”
“Every possibility is being considered. Products that cannot be made safe can be prohibited,” he stated.
He later clarified that his comments were about new products and that a retroactive gas stove ban was not under consideration.
While the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission operates independently of the executive branch, a leaked memo from October 2022, initially obtained by Fox News, disclosed that the chief safety watchdog was contemplating stricter emission regulations.
Critics claim Biden’s plans are ‘hyper-regulation’
The Department of Energy, under Biden’s administration, has already implemented tighter environmental standards on washing machines and refrigerators, which critics have termed as ‘hyper-regulation.’
On his first day in office in January 2021, Biden issued an executive order instructing Department of Energy officials to revise the existing appliance regulation standards significantly.
Subsequently, the department announced a review of over a dozen energy efficiency rules affecting appliances like water heaters, cooking products, and lamps.
The White House released a statement at the end of last year, proudly announcing that it had taken action on 110 household appliances to reduce emissions.
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