Gas Stoves In VA: Ban Unlikely As Feds Warn Of Safety Hazards

VIRGINIA — When a federal official recently suggested gas stoves should be regulated the opposition rose up from across the political spectrum. And while the Biden administration tamped down the suggestion, jurisdictions adjacent to Virginia are phasing out gas appliance usage in most new construction.

Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Nov. 30, 2022, approved legislation requiring most new residential and commercial buildings to be all-electric beginning in 2027, the Baltimore Banner reported.

The law in Maryland's largest county is one of the first in the mid-Atlantic region to ban gas in most builds. Washington, D.C., also banned gas in most new construction starting in 2026.

The Montgomery County Council created exemptions on the gas ban: hospitals, wastewater treatment plants, crematories, and commercial cooking facilities are among those not covered by the ban. And public housing, schools and residential housing with four or more stories has until the end of 2027 to make the change.

Only Washington state and California have enacted statewide restrictions on fossil fuel heat by the end of the decade. But officials in Massachusetts and New York are considering measures to limit or curtail gas, Energy Wire reported.

Gas stoves recently came under fire, as federal regulators raised mounting concerns about their potential health risks. While it's unlikely that homeowners will need to replace them, the growing body of information on their hazards could become vital for New Jersey.

Twenty-eight percent of Virginia homes had a natural-gas cooking appliance as of 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Meanwhile, only 38 percent of U.S. homes had a gas stove at that time.

A Consumer Product Safety Commission official published earlier this month said "any option is on the table" when it comes to regulating gas stoves, amid growing health concerns over the appliances. In the days after, discussion online evoked images of the government dragging four-burner cooktops from homes, as social media users shared memes of gas stoves with text like, "Don't Tread On Me."

Here's what Virginians should know about gas stoves.

Why are gas stoves in the news?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has raised concerns about harmful indoor air pollutants emitted by gas stoves. The agency plans to take action to address the issue, Bloomberg reported last week.

The CPSC continues to study gas stoves and their potential risks. The stoves emit air pollutants — including nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide — at levels linked to health issues such as respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems and cancer, according to research from groups including the American Chemical Society.

More than 12 percent of the nation's childhood asthma cases can be attributed to the products, according to peer-reviewed research published last month in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. About 1.85 million new pediatric asthma cases worldwide were attributable to nitrogen dioxide, according to research published this month in The Lancet, a peer-reviewed journal.

Will I need to replace my gas stove?

The immediate answer is no. And long-term, federal regulators find that highly unlikely.

CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said, "Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned," according to Bloomberg. But the White House says President Joe Biden would oppose a ban. And it remains "extraordinarily unlikely that any future ban would ever require somebody to replace an existing appliance," Consumer Reports Appliance Editor Paul Hope told NBC New York.

But that hasn't stopped a culture war flashpoint. Several Republican leaders, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have expressed outrage and warned the federal government not to come for gas stoves. Meanwhile, only 8 percent of Florida homes have a gas cooking appliance — tied with Maine for the nation's lowest rate.

What future restrictions are possible?

While the mandatory replacement of gas stoves in homes appears unlikely, the CPSC is still looking into ways to address their risks. That may mean future regulations on new stoves, Trumka tweeted.

Some federal lawmakers called on the CPSC to impose regulations such as requiring that gas stoves get sold with range hoods to improve ventilation, or issuing mandatory performance standards for the devices. But the commission hasn't proposed any regulatory action and continues to gather information on potential hazards.

The CPSC will seek public input on the matter this spring, Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric said in a statement.

"CPSC is researching gas emissions in stoves and exploring new ways to address any health risks," Hoehn-Saric said. "CPSC also is actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards for gas stoves."

Can I make my household safer without replacing the gas stove?

Replacing a gas stove with an electric one won't be feasible for everyone, including people with cost concerns and renters with no say in their home's unit.

But Harvard Medical School has several suggestions for lowering the risks:

• Open your windows while cooking.
• Use exhaust fans to move the air outdoors.
• Get an air purifier with a high clean-air-delivery rate matched to the size of your room. They're easy to move around, so you could keep it in the kitchen during the day and move it to the bedroom when you sleep.

Can I get financial assistance for replacing my stove?

If you want to replace your gas stove, you may qualify for a rebate under the federal Inflation Reduction Act, passed last August.

The new law includes $4.5 billion for states to provide rebates for the purchase of new electric appliances, including ranges and cooktops. Eligible individuals could receive a rebate of up to $840 to purchase an electric cooking appliance, plus an additional $500 for the costs of converting from natural gas to propane or electric.

Each state will set up the framework for savings. But the legislation calls for states to base the rebate amount on how each household's income compares to their area's median household earnings, which could go by ZIP code, county or state, according to Consumer Reports.

If you're unsure about potential savings, check out Rewiring America's Inflation Reduction Act calculator.

Per the guidelines:

• If you make up to 80 percent of your area's median household income, you can get up to $840 to cover the cost of a new appliance — or 100 percent of the cost, depending on which is cheaper.
• Those making more than 80 percent but less than 150 percent of the median earnings can get up to 50 percent covered.
• Anyone making more than 150 percent of the household median income doesn't qualify for a rebate.

Gas and electric stoves have similar prices, but electric models can get a little more expensive, per HomeServe. Electric stoves typically range between $450 and $2,800 — not including installation costs. Gas stoves are usually 10-30 percent cheaper to run, compared to a similar electric model, but check your area's utility rates to see which energy source is cheaper.

Patch Editor Josh Bakan contributed reporting to this story.