Press Releases and Statements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Renée Lani, Director of Regulatory Affairs

Phone: (202) 464-2742

Email: rlani@apga.org

APGA Disappointed in DOE Residential Furnace Rule

Washington, D.C. (June 13, 2022) – The American Public Gas Association (APGA), representing more than 700 municipally-owned natural gas systems in 38 states, issued the following statement in response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR), which proposes that all non-weatherized residential furnaces and mobile home furnaces must be of the condensing type.

“APGA is extremely disappointed that DOE has once again proposed a new energy conservation standard for natural gas furnaces that will harm consumers and ultimately undermine energy efficiency.  If implemented, the proposed rule will cause uneconomic fuel switching, as many consumers will be compelled to change their natural gas furnaces to electric appliances in lieu of making costly retrofits that may not even be possible for some buildings.  The direct-use of natural gas is almost three times more efficient, yet this rule will incentivize fuel switching to potentially less efficient heating options and higher monthly utility bills imposed upon people who can least afford it. 

“APGA members are not-for-profit entities, and their actions are entirely for the benefit of their consumer-owners.  We believe this rule is unnecessary, as it will impose significant harm upon APGA members’ customers through increased costs despite data showing that the furnace market is working properly without a more stringent efficiency standard.  Consumers that should be purchasing condensing furnaces because it makes economic sense for where they live are already making this decision, making it ever more apparent that DOE’s furnace rulemaking initiative is again driven by something other than sound science.

“The solution to addressing this issue is for DOE to acknowledge that condensing and non-condensing furnaces are separate product classes and therefore each should have its own efficiency standard.”