(USNewsMag.com) – In January it was revealed that gas stoves had come under the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Energy. During an interview with Bloomberg, one of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s commissioners suggested a nationwide ban on the popular appliances was a possibility. After weeks of public backlash, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office posted a document announcing a proposed rule that would set new energy conservation standards for the conventional cooking product.
Citing the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, the document posted on February 1st indicates that after assessing what standards are “technologically feasible and economically justified” to reduce energy consumption, the DOE is prepared to amend the current standards for gas stoves. While it appears the announcement was posted after the scheduled public meeting, the DOE listed multiple pathways for the public to comment on the proposal, including an online portal, email, and postal mail. The deadline for the public to weigh in on the new regulations is April 3rd.
Under the proposal, Gas cooking tops would have a maximum integrated annual energy consumption of 1,204 kBtu/year. While current standards already prohibit cooktops with constantly burning pilot lights, the DOE intends to remove that requirement from regulations due to the new consumption standard which would eliminate those appliances from the market anyway as they use 2,000 kBtu/year. The current ban on constantly burning pilots went into effect in April 2012.
The Department’s analysis of the impact the new regulations would have on consumers indicates that over the lifetime of the appliance, approximately 14.5 years for a gas stove, the consumer would save $21.89 at the 2021-dollar value. The National benefit of the new rule would be a 3.4 percent energy savings over a 30-year period, from 2027-2056.
While the proposal cites climate benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gasses, it notes that the conclusions are not based on climate benefits but are primarily the result of health benefits for the public and the estimated consumer operating cost savings.
The new standards would go into effect for all gas cooktops that are sold in the United States three years after the regulations are approved.
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