The UK government has proposed a new law that would require every room in any home with an internet connection to have smart air purifiers and automatically generated carbon monoxide alarms. This bill is not without its challenges, as it could result in the added cost of replacing all existing smoke detectors.
On October 19, 2021, a man installs a new heater at a residence in Spanish Fork, Utah.
George Frey/Bloomberg News photo
Inflationary spikes, bare shop shelves, growing crime, and never-ending Covid restrictions have dominated the news, but the Biden administration’s regulatory mischief may be just as damaging. The president’s officials are working on a slew of inconvenient rules that will effect every area of your home:
• The cooking area. The Trump administration made efforts to correct the Energy Department’s dishwasher efficiency rules, which had the unintended result of lengthening the time it required to clean a load of dishes from an hour or less in earlier models to well over two hours in newer models. However, the Biden administration is already working to reinstate these time-consuming and unpopular policies.
• The toilet. The DOE has tightened water-use regulations for some kinds of showers, which is one of numerous government policies limiting freedom of choice. Furthermore, for people who like incandescent light bulbs around their bathroom mirror (or anyplace else), the DOE is targeting these bulbs with energy-efficiency rules that are expected to drive up the price to $7 per bulb, leaving LEDs as the only realistic alternative.
• The washer and dryer. Multiple rounds of energy and water-efficiency restrictions have affected washing machines, compromising performance and forcing some owners to acquire and use specific chemicals to get rid of the stench that collects in the latest models. Dryers that are more compliant, like modern dishwashers, require longer to complete the task. Instead of considering consumer-friendly modifications to current rules, the Biden DOE is pushing to tighten them.
• The cellar. Because of regulation reforms brewing in the Biden DOE bureaucracy, your next new furnace might be much more costly. Natural-gas and electric furnaces are now available, but the DOE is all-in on the campaign against gas, which environmentalists despise since it is a fossil fuel and so contributes to climate change. The EPA has taken moves toward new efficiency requirements that will bias the market toward electric vehicles, which are more expensive.
It’s also worth noting that the natural gas battle may have an impact on other appliances that have both gas and electric versions, such as water heaters, clothes dryers, and even ovens. Many chefs believe that gas cooking is preferable than electric cookery, but the Biden administration wants to electrify everything. According to one estimate, a forced move away from natural gas would increase energy prices by $750 to $910 per year for the ordinary home.
• Any room with air conditioning. Even though the regulators all work in air-conditioned government facilities, that hasn’t prevented them from targeting the air conditioners of others. Under power given by Congress in 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency has now announced stringent new limitations on certain refrigerants accused for contributing to climate change. Don’t be shocked if your next repair bill is hundreds of dollars greater than you planned since the price of the one used in most household air conditioners has already tripled.
• The carport. Your automobile is parked nearby. Is there anything more I can say?
Anyone who believes the federal government wants to control everything but the kitchen sink is mistaken. They’re also taking a look at kitchen sinks. The DOE is rethinking the process for determining whether faucets are complying with water-use regulations, and a change might result in harsher restrictions, with some presently available types labeled unlawful.
Any homeowner who desires ecologically friendly appliances may pick them whether or not the government interferes. So why should everyone be forced to choose the politically correct option? Part of it is the Washington swamp’s self-interest: many officials within the government, as well as activists and lobbyists on the outside, profit handsomely from an interminable regulatory process. While appliance manufacturers may resist new restrictions on occasion, they often embrace them as potential revenue generators. When you add in the Biden administration’s fixation with clamping down on everything that utilizes energy in the name of combating climate change, you have a full-fledged attack on Americans’ homes.
Mr. Lieberman works at the Competitive Enterprise Institute as a senior fellow. He worked on home appliance laws as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s staff.
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