"The Biden administration on Friday proposed tightening an efficiency standard for new residential water heaters — a move that it said would both save consumers money and combat climate change.

The draft rule would require that, in order to become more efficient,  most common-size electric water heaters use heat pump technology and gas-powered heaters use condensing technology.

The proposal from the Energy Department would cut 501 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years, the department said. That’s the equivalent of the emissions of 134 coal-fired power plants in one year.

The department also said the standards would save consumers $198 billion over the 30-year period."

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill July 21, 2023. [2]