Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Feb 25, 2026

This bill modifies the Department of Energy's process for setting energy conservation standards for consumer products. It allows DOE to amend standards when needed rather than on fixed deadlines, and permits DOE to revoke or amend standards if they increase consumer costs, provide insignificant energy or water savings, lack technological feasibility, or make products unavailable to consumers. The bill changes the criteria for determining whether standards are economically justified and requires DOE to disclose meetings with entities that have ties to China or the Chinese Communist Party, have advocated for energy-limiting policies, or have received federal funds. The bill prohibits DOE from setting new standards for distribution transformers but allows it to set standards for clothes washers and dishwashers.

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Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act This bill modifies the process by which the Department of Energy (DOE) issues or revises energy conservation standards for consumer products such as household appliances, including by requiring DOE to consider additional factors related to the cost and availability of such products. First, the bill allows DOE to amend an energy conservation standard for a consumer product when needed rather than by a deadline. The bill also allows DOE to grant a petition to revoke or amend energy conservation standards if the standards (1) result in additional costs to consumers, (2) do not result in significant conservation of energy or water, (3) are not technologically feasible, and (4) result in a product (e.g., gas stoves) not being commercially available in the United States to all consumers. Additionally, the bill modifies the criteria used to prescribe new or amended energy conservation standards, including by establishing new criteria for determining whether a standard is economically justified. The bill establishes disclosure requirements for DOE meetings with entities that have (1) ties to China or the Chinese Communist Party; (2) produced studies regarding, or advocated for, regulations or policy to limit, restrict, or ban the use of any type of energy; and (3) applied for or received federal funds. The bill also prohibits DOE from prescribing new or revised energy conservation standards for distribution transformers. Finally, the bill allows DOE to prescribe certain new or amended energy and water conservation standards for clothes washers and dishwashers.