Nearly two-thirds of U.S. households use fuel-burning appliances in their homes, exposing families to pollutants linked to asthma, respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease and other serious health harms. Policies that weaken protections aimed to improve air quality pose a direct and measurable threat to human health
Health and medical organizations continue to express serious concern about recent and ongoing threats to the progress made on improving air quality. We urge policymakers to protect and strengthen policies that reduce air pollution, including the following:
Appliance standards that protect families from harmful air pollution
Combustion appliances such as furnaces and water heaters that burn fuels can emit nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide, particulate matter and other harmful pollutants. These emissions contribute to ozone and particle pollution outdoors, worsening air quality and associated health risks in surrounding communities
Appliance standards focus on manufacturer requirements rather than replacement obligations placed directly on individual residents. The health community has supported earlier efforts to strengthen appliance standards and is opposed to recent efforts to weaken or delay these health protections, which would increase pollution exposures, lock in polluting technologies and raise health risks for millions of Americans
Did you know?
Nearly 2/3 of U.S. households us fuel-burning appliances in their homes, exposing families to pollutants linked to:
Energy efficiency standards that reduce pollution, save energy and lower costs
Federal efficiency standards help reduce air pollution, lower household energy costs and support healthier homes. The Department of Energy has a long history of establishing and reviewing appliance and equipment efficiency standards that save energy, are cost-effective for consumers and are technologically feasible
Strong efficiency standards help accelerate the transition to cleaner, readily adoptable electric and zero-emission technologies, reducing reliance on fuel-burning appliances and lowering exposure to pollutants linked to asthma, respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease. Efforts to weaken the Department of Energy’s authority to update or enforce these standards would increase pollution, waste energy and delay progress toward healthier environments
Energy programs that help families access safe, healthy and affordable energy
ENERGY STAR helps consumers identify cleaner, more efficient appliances while reducing pollution and household energy costs. Since 1992, the program has saved more than $500 billion in energy costs and prevented approximately 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to emissions from over 1,000 coal-fired power plants. Proposals to weaken or eliminate ENERGY STAR would remove a trusted tool that helps families make healthier choices for their homes
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income households afford safe heating and cooling. Federal LIHEAP funds are distributed to states, which determine how best to deliver assistance to eligible households. This program recognizes that low-income families cannot absorb the cost of replacing inefficient or unsafe heating and cooling equipment on their own. Without adequate support, households may be forced to rely on aging or faulty appliances that increase exposure to indoor air pollution and elevate the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illness, particularly among children, older adults, and individuals with chronic health conditions.
Consumers should be free to choose cleaner, healthier technologies
Supporting consumers in moving away from polluting equipment can reduce exposure to harmful pollutants, lower energy costs and improve household safety. At a time when families across the country are seeing their household finances stretched even further – whether by increased transportation, energy or healthcare costs – we oppose efforts that weaken policies aimed at allowing consumers or businesses to choose more efficient, less-polluting appliances and energy
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Page last updated: August 25, 2026
