The Biden administration is facing significant criticism over its plans to impose stricter regulations on dishwashers in American households. This move is part of a broader effort to address concerns related to climate change. A coalition of more than a dozen industry and consumer groups has strongly opposed these plans.
Previously, the administration had targeted gas stoves as part of its efforts to combat global warming. Now, dishwashers have come under scrutiny as part of the green agenda.
The Department of Energy (DOE) proposed new standards for dishwashers in May, arguing that these changes would reduce consumer costs and carbon emissions. The proposed rule aims to establish separate efficiency standards for power and water usage in both standard-size and compact dishwashers during their regular cycles.
In response to this proposal, a coalition led by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and consisting of 19 industry and consumer groups has criticized the plan and called for its withdrawal. They contend that the existing dishwasher standards are already causing problems for consumers, including longer cycle times.
The coalition argues that further tightening these standards, as proposed by the DOE, would likely exacerbate these issues while providing minimal additional savings. The DOE’s proposal seeks to reduce energy use by 27 percent and water use by 34 percent in new conventional household dishwashers in the U.S. or imported into the country.
These proposed changes would be implemented three years after the publication of the final rule, potentially taking effect in 2027. The DOE estimates that these new regulations would save consumers nearly $3 billion in utility bills over 30 years.
While the administration asserts that these regulations aim to reduce carbon pollution and combat climate change, the CEI-led coalition argues that they would lead to longer cycle times and decreased dishwasher performance, affecting reliability, cleaning, and drying.
“Though not well documented, the previous efficiency standards have led to other performance drawbacks,” the groups continued.
“For example, those who repair dishwashers have seen changes in reliability” resulting from DOE’s earlier actions.
“Both the frequency of repairs as well as their cost have risen.”
The coalition opposing the new dishwasher efficiency standards has highlighted adverse impacts on cleaning performance, citing instances where consumers need to run loads twice to achieve satisfactory cleanliness. Additionally, many models complying with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) earlier standards do not fully dry dishes.
The coalition argues that the new draft rule from the DOE would further undermine the advantages of using dishwashers over handwashing by ratcheting down energy and water limits that are already recognized as sources of problems.
Signatories of the letter to the DOE include The Heritage Foundation, Institute for Energy Research, Heartland Institute, American Consumer Institute, Americans for Prosperity, and American First Policy Institute.
This opposition to stricter dishwasher efficiency standards is part of a broader trend of the Biden administration implementing regulations on home appliances to address climate change. The administration has recently introduced stringent rules to reduce the use of coolants in air conditioning units and other appliances to combat global warming. However, experts suggest that these changes could lead to higher costs for consumers.
Furthermore, the administration has proposed rules targeting natural gas-powered appliances, potentially affecting many gas stoves on the market. This proposal has faced criticism from the gas appliance industry and lawmakers who argue that it will disproportionately impact lower-income individuals who may not be able to afford new compliant stoves and the necessary electrical adaptations.
