These appliances will be banned in southern California. There’s a new environmental regulation by the South Coast AQMD (Air Quality Management District) and it has been the talk of the town in California, mostly in Los Angeles and Long Beach where pollution levels are very worrying. This measure’s aim is to reduce little by little the use of gas household appliances to improve the quality of the air, but some companies have complained about it. Kevin Barker, senior manager of SoCalGas, is so worried about this situation that he even explained to the authorities that this regulation could increase the cost of living due to the limitation of available options for consumers.
We have made some changes in our houses to contribute to the improvement of the environment, and this is one of those. So, let’s see what this initiative is about more in detail and how it could affect us.
Banned appliances California.
Los Angeles and Long Beach are dealing with high levels of atmospheric pollution, mostly due to smog which is a mix of dense pollutants in the air. This initiative seeks to reduce appliances emitting nitrogen oxide (NOx), which increases air quality issues. Gas household appliances are the main source of pollution, even more worrying than oil refineries.
The most common household appliances of this category are gas heating ovens, mostly used in Winter, and gas water heaters, which are very popular in houses of the state of California.
Long-term goals
This green initiative is not thought to get rid of these appliances right away, this disappearance will be done progressively. It has been estimated that by 2027 only 30% of these appliances should keep working with gass, and by 2036 the goal is to reduce these systems to a total of 10%.
This means every year around 200,000 ovens and 300,000 water heaters will be replaced in California. It will be a huge change in the market and homes infrastructure for sure.
What do companies say about it?
If this initiative is passed, the law will directly affect appliances manufacturers since they will have to offer other free emissions electric models matching the new standards, or pay an additional tariff for each gas appliance that will continuously be sold. However, this law won’t only affect companies, but consumers too. Think about the increase of costs, they will be reflected on the final price too, so consumers will have to pay more for these products too.
SoCalGas is the main supplier of natural gas in southern California, and it has stated its concern about this initiative. Kevin Barker, senior manager of this company, sent a letter to the authorities saying this law could limit the options for consumers and the new electric systems will require huge investment in the beginning.
This is important if you own one of these appliances
It’s true you could continue using it because we have mentioned this process is effective in the long term, but it’s recommended that you start thinking about other options in advance. If you don’t do it, you could face consequences like:
- Fines if your appliances don’t match the new standards.
- Difficulty to find gas appliances.
- Higher costs of the product and the installation.
So, what experts suggest is to go for electric alternatives because they are more efficient in the long run and they match the new regulations. Even though the initial cost may be higher, they could have future benefits such as power consumption saving, less polluting emissions and improved home energy efficiency.
I know changes are always difficult, but this one is thought to be beneficial for the future of the environment, which is getting worse over time. Do you think it would be a great change?