Trump and Congress Target ‘Efficiency’ Rules That Hobble Home Appliances
Taking up space in my kitchen is a G.E. dishwasher. We rarely use it because, frankly, it sucks. Too often, dishes must be rewashed after a cycle long enough that it might scrub the glaze from the ceramic, obviating the point of having an appliance dedicated to that task. My complaint isn’t isolated; Americans have complained for years that appliances which once saved time and energy now produce frustration—largely because of regulations that hobble their ability to function. To their credit, the Trump administration and members of Congress are rolling back red tape and liberating appliances. The result should be expanded choices in labor saving devices that do what we want and do so more affordably.
Rescinding Rules That ‘Make Household Appliances Less Effective’
“Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum to eliminate restrictive water pressure and efficiency rules that make household appliances less effective and more expensive,” the White House announced May 9.
The order directs the Secretary of Energy to “review and rescind—or revert to the minimum standards required by statute—rules that limit water use in showerheads, faucets, dishwashers, toilets, urinals, and washing machines,” to clarify “the scope of federal preemption of state rules for water use” in appliances, and to  “pause enforcement [of any] rules mentioned in the memorandum until they are rescinded or revised.” It also directs the Secretary of Energy to work with Congress to repeal intrusive laws that dictate water usage and efficiency standards to Americans.
This recent regulatory move follows an earlier action addressing deregulation of showerheads.
It’s no secret the federal government has been trying to make our household appliances greener for many years and that, despite innovation by manufacturers, regulatory intervention has had an unfortunate effect on performance.
Absurd Energy and Water ‘Conservation’ Rules
“Why do today’s dishwashers typically take more than 2 hours to run through a normal cycle when less than a hour was common in the past?” George Mason University economics professor Alex Tabarrok wrote in January of 2024. “The reason is absurd energy and water ‘conservation’ rules. These rules, imposed on dish
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