President Donald Trump has taken a bold step to unwind a tangle of federal regulations on everyday home appliances, signaling a major shift from the previous administration's policies.
Fox News reported that on his Inauguration Day, Trump issued an executive order to reevaluate the stringent appliance regulations set by the Biden administration, which had imposed new rules on items like stoves, dishwashers, furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, light bulbs, refrigerators, and washing machines.
These measures, enacted over the past few years, aimed to enforce energy and water use limits but often led to higher costs and reduced performance for consumers. The Trump administration has since halted the addition of new restrictions and is focusing on revising existing ones.
Supporters of Trump's approach argue that these reversals are a much-needed relief for homeowners burdened by overzealous federal oversight.
The Biden-era rules, they contend, prioritized environmental goals over practical concerns like affordability and functionality. It's a debate that's heating up as fast as a deregulated water heater.
Washing machines, hit with six rounds of tightening energy and water limits, have seen reduced cleaning power, shorter lifespans, and higher maintenance needs.
Dishwashers, burdened by four similar rounds, now take twice as long—often over two hours—to complete a cycle. The Biden Department of Energy added even more restrictions, set to roll out in coming years.
Thankfully, the current Department of Energy under Trump has proposed scrapping the most burdensome parts of these rules. This move could finally let consumers wash their dishes and clothes without feeling like they're stuck in a regulatory spin cycle.
Air conditioning systems have also felt the pinch, with prices for residential units more than doubling from about $5,000 for a 15-year-old system to over twice that today.
A Biden Environmental Protection Agency rule, effective for systems made after Jan. 1, 2025, drove costs up by as much as $3,000 last summer, on top of earlier price hikes from other measures.
The Trump EPA is pushing back with a proposed rule to offer more compliance flexibility for air conditioning manufacturers. If successful, this could help curb further price spikes that hit homeowners hard in the wallet. It's a breath of cool air for those sweating over replacement costs.
Water heaters faced a near knockout punch with a December 2024 Biden DOE regulation that would have effectively banned tankless gas models through costly new requirements. Fortunately, in April 2025, Congress and Trump enacted a law to repeal this rule, keeping the tankless option alive for consumers who value efficiency.
However, a separate Biden-era rule on conventional tank storage water heaters remains untouched, poised to increase costs by up to $953 when it kicks in during 2029. For many, that's a bitter pill to swallow when the hot water runs out.
Furnaces are another sore spot, with a 2023 Biden regulation set to take effect in 2028 that outlaws gas-fired non-condensing models—often the best fit for older homes.
The DOE itself predicts cost increases of up to $853, while industry voices warn the real impact could be steeper, especially for lower-income households.
Shower regulations, rooted in a 1992 law only Congress can undo, got a small tweak from Trump via an executive order and DOE rule. Now, water limits apply per nozzle rather than per unit, legalizing multi-nozzle showers, and a recent House bill seeks to lock in this change—though the Senate has yet to act.
These steps mark a clear pivot from the Biden years, when new restrictions piled up relentlessly over four years. Trump's team isn't just hitting the brakes on more rules; they're actively revisiting what's already on the books to ease the load on consumers.
Yet, the job isn't done, as furnace and water heater rules still loom large with no fixes in sight. The financial sting of these regulations often falls hardest on those least able to absorb it, a point worth pondering as reforms unfold.
