The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granted the Obama Administration’s request to reconsider weak efficiency standards of residential furnaces, one of the home’s biggest users of energy. The case was brought to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by several states, and consumer and environmental groups.
During the Bush Administration, the DOE set standards at 80% efficiency, a level already met by virtually all furnaces currently sold. Now, the Obama Administration is committing to consider new standards of at least 90%. A furnace with 90% efficiency would save consumers about 11 percent off of their home heating bills.
A stronger standard for residential furnaces would also save at least enough gas to heat four out of every five U.S. homes for one year, net about $11 billion in consumer savings and cut global warming pollution by the amount emitted by 25 million cars in a year.
“The Bush Administration ignored the science and the law in establishing weak standards.” said Anjali Jaiswal, Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. “Residential furnaces are the home’s biggest users of natural gas. We’re encouraged that Secretary Chu is taking quick action to establish stronger efficiency standards for furnaces that will lower heating bills, reduce global warming pollution, reduce natural gas prices for everyone, and increase America’s energy security.”
"It’s great news for low-income consumers that DOE will reconsider the very weak furnace efficiency standard,” said Charles Harak, attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, a participant in the lawsuit. “Poorer families often rent, rather than own, and depend on strong federal standards to make sure their landlords provide furnaces that don’t waste energy, sending money up the chimney."
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