Federal appliance efficiency standards have been used by previous administrations to phase out liquid- and gas-fired heating systems and other home appliances by setting requirements that only electric models can meet or that are too costly to manufacture. These policies would have left consumers with fewer options and higher costs. Last week, the U.S. House took a significant step toward changing that.

On February 24, the House passed two bills that NEFI has actively supported: H.R. 4626, the “Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act” [217–190], and H.R. 4758, the “Homeowner Energy Freedom Act” [210–199]. Together, they represent the most meaningful congressional action on energy choice and appliance freedom in years.

H.R. 4626 passed on a bipartisan basis with support from seven Democrats. Key provisions include:

• Fuel-type ban prohibition. The DOE may not set efficiency standards that would effectively ban products based on the type of fuel they use, closing the regulatory backdoor that previous administrations used to target liquid- and gas-fired heating equipment.
• Elimination of the mandatory six-year review. The bill removes the existing requirement that the DOE periodically review and tighten appliance efficiency standards, ending a mechanism that has been used to ratchet up requirements over time.
• Stronger “economically justified” test. Energy savings must exceed increased consumer costs within the first three years of ownership, and the DOE may no longer use metrics like the Social Cost of Carbon to tilt its analysis against fossil fuel appliances.
• Mandatory two-year post-finalization review. Any standard found to be technologically infeasible or economically unjustified after taking effect must be revoked, giving manufacturers and the broader industry a meaningful remedy when regulations prove unworkable in practice.

H.R. 4758 complements these reforms by repealing Inflation Reduction Act programs that subsidized residential electrification, including state-administered rebate programs and funding that incentivized states to adopt building energy codes favoring all-electric systems.

Both bills now head to the Senate, where the 60-vote threshold will require bipartisan support to advance. NEFI is actively engaging Senate offices to build that coalition. Member engagement will be critical. Watch for further updates and calls to action in the weeks ahead.

For more information, contact NEFI Manager of Government Affairs Liam Dotson at liam.dotson@nefi.com.