The Biden administration on Monday proposed stronger efficiency standards for home furnaces, which account for up to 15% of U.S. home energy use. DOE estimates the rule would prevent more than 370 million metric tons of CO2 pollution and more than 5 million tons of methane pollution over the next 30 years, saving US consumers more than $30 billion. If implemented, the standards would be the first update to furnace standards since the 1990s and would effectively phase out inefficient “non-condensing” furnaces by requiring 95% fuel utilization, a level met by just 40% of furnaces shipped today.

“Americans have been forced to rely on antiquated and wasteful furnaces for long enough,” Joe Vukovich of NRDC said in a statement. “Since about half of the homes in the U.S. depend on fossil fuels for space heating, this standard will significantly lower energy bills each year and slash dangerous climate-warming emissions across the nation.” (CNN, Politico Pro $, The Hill, Wall Street Journal $, Washington Examiner)