Advocacy
DOE 95% Efficient Consumer Furnace Rule Finalized
November 28, 2023 | 1 minute read
The U.S. Department of Energy has finalized its proposed rule requiring manufacturers to produce consumer furnaces with at least a 95% AFUE rating. The rule will go into effect five years after being published in the Federal Register, which should happen soon. The rule, by statute, is a date of manufacture rule, meaning this change will not affect distributors' existing inventory.
HARDI opposed the proposed rule because of the impact on the retrofit market for consumers who currently have non-condensing furnaces installed. The changeover from non-condensing to condensing furnaces can be costly to consumers. We expect the rule to be challenged in the courts once it is published in the Federal Register.
As we move closer to this transition to high-efficiency furnaces, and if the legal challenges are unsuccessful, we will look at how the Canadian market shifted from non-condensing to condensing furnaces over the last decade to try and learn lessons that can protect consumers from costly changes.
HARDI's Congressional Fly-In
May 21-22, 2024
HARDI Members - Join us in Washington, DC where we brief you on policies that matter, arrange meetings with representatives, and you get face-to-face with your representatives to affect policy change.
Alex Ayers
Alex Ayers is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International. As a recovering political nerd and current policy wonk, Alex is HARDI’s primary lobbyist and regulatory expert. Growing up in Iowa, Alex was exposed early to local politics through the first in the nation Iowa Caucuses, participating as a county caucus delegate to develop the grassroots planks that go into creating the party platform. Since moving to Washington, DC, Alex has spent over a decade lobbying, publishing papers, and testifying in various policy areas, including taxes, energy, environment, agriculture, and economics. His research has been cited by organizations such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Tax Foundation.
Expertise: HVACR Policy, Government Affairs, and Political Advocacy
Please contact events@hardinet.org to book Alex as a speaker at your next conference or event. Press Contacts - to request a quote or an interview, complete this form.
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