"In 2023, the Bay Area Air District and California Air Resources Board quietly passed regulations for 2031. These regulations forbid the sale or installation of non-zero-NOx (gas) water heaters or furnaces when those aging devices die. This applies to all homes, not just new construction and remodels. I live in a Fremont home with a 100-amp buried electrical service. Upgrading to all-electric appliances would easily cost $20,000-$50,000, far more than the cost of just the electrical appliances."
"For many homeowners, the upgrades will happen after they discover that a failed appliance means weeks or more of money, contractors, permits, construction and inspections, with an uninhabitable home without heat or hot water. The slow phase-in of phasing out gas appliances was ingenious boards and politicians will only hear from a minority of screaming homeowners at a time. I'm writing to voice my opposition to these regulations, which are impractical and too expensive."
Regulations adopted in 2023 will prohibit the sale or installation of non-zero-NOx gas water heaters and furnaces for failed units beginning in 2031, and the rules apply to all homes. Many existing residences have limited electrical capacity, such as 100-amp buried services, that require utility and on-site upgrades to support all-electric appliances. Total retrofit costs can range from $20,000 to $50,000 or more, excluding delays for contractors, permits, construction and inspections that can leave homes without heat or hot water for weeks. A proposed state escrow mechanism would let taxpayers deposit federal taxes into a state account for reallocation and tracking amid federal funding shortfalls.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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