US: Wide coalition welcomes furnace efficiency standards set to cut energy bills and climate pollution

(ACEEE blog, 29 Sep 2023) Consumer, energy efficiency, environmental, and utility stakeholders welcomed a significantly strengthened federal efficiency standard for home furnaces Friday.

The final standards announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) will reduce average household costs by $350 over the life of a furnace compared to using old-style models and cut 332 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from furnaces sold over 30 years, according to the agency. The standards will also reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which cause asthma attacks, cardiovascular disease, and even premature death.

Furnace efficiency standards had not been meaningfully updated since they were set by Congress in 1987. DOE made a slight update in 2007, but to an efficiency level that 99% of models already met.

Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, said: “Heating is the largest utility cost in most homes, but we’ve still been installing many inefficient new models. Now, that’s finally going to come to an end. It’s a major accomplishment for the Energy Department and one that’s going to make a real difference reducing bills and greenhouse gases.”

External link

ACEEE blog, 29 Sep 2023: US: Wide coalition welcomes furnace efficiency standards set to cut energy bills and climate pollution