House Energy Subcommittee reviews eight bills on appliances, building codes, natural gas and weatherization

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a legislative hearing on appliance and buildings policies on Oct. 25, 2025, reviewing eight bills that lawmakers said would restore consumer choice, change how appliance efficiency standards are set, alter federal building fuel requirements and reauthorize weatherization funds.

The subcommittee heard from Jeff Novak, acting general counsel and principal deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Energy, and from industry and advocacy witnesses including Jennifer Cleary of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Brian Tebenkamp of Patriot Homes, Andrew Delasky of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, and George Lowe of the American Gas Association.

Why it matters: Members from both parties framed the hearing as part of a larger affordability debate. Republicans argued some federal and state efficiency rules and model building codes have raised housing and appliance costs and reduced consumer choice. Democrats and efficiency advocates warned that rolling back standards would raise household energy bills, reduce progress on lowering consumption, and make it harder to meet growing electricity demand.

What the bills would do - Energy Choice Act: would bar state or local governments from banning energy services based on the fuel used. DOE witness Novak said roughly 149 jurisdictions have enacted laws or ordinances that effectively restrict natural‑gas use and described the bill as preserving ‘‘a broader range of energy solutions’’ and consumer choice.

- Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act: would repeal or modify the federal statutory requirement that phases out fossil fuels in federal buildings under section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act. Novak told members the change would give federal agencies more flexibility in weighing local energy delivery options, construction timelines and mission needs.

- Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act (appliance standards reforms): would change how DOE sets and reviews appliance efficiency standards, including eliminating the automatic six‑year ‘‘look back’’ requirement for routine reexamination of standards. Jennifer Cleary of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers told the subcommittee the six‑year clock creates ‘‘never‑ending regulatory churn’’ and said removing it would allow DOE to prioritize rulemakings where meaningful consumer savings exist.

- Homeowner Energy Freedom Act: would repeal funding in the Inflation Reduction Act that subsidized state adoption of the 2021 IECC model building code, a change sponsors said would remove a disincentive for local amendments. Builders testifying said the condition tied to the federal assistance prompted some local governments to accept unamended codes that increased costs.

- Federal Mechanical Insulation Act: would expand the statutory scope of federal energy audits to include mechanical insulation (piping, ductwork and HVAC components) in addition to building envelopes. The bill’s sponsor and contractors argued including mechanical insulation in audits would identify cost‑effective measures that save energy in federal facilities.

- Shower Act: would adopt the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ definition of ‘‘showerhead’’ in federal regulations, a change sponsors said would give manufacturers and consumers more product choice while maintaining baseline water‑use limits.

- Affordable Homes Act (manufactured housing): would shift analysis of energy standards for manufactured housing from two regulators to one (HUD), streamlining compliance assessments according to the bill’s supporters; witnesses said the current dual‑agency process adds to cost and complexity for the manufactured‑home market.

- Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act: would reauthorize and update the Weatherization Assistance Program and formally authorize a weatherization ‘‘readiness’’ fund to fix structural problems that otherwise prevent weatherization work. Novak and witnesses said DOE would provide technical assistance and agreed to follow up on timing and staffing questions for state plan approvals.

Testimony highlights and quotes - DOE’s Jeff Novak said the bills broadly ‘‘enable a broader range of energy solutions’’ and argued that access to natural gas or propane can be ‘‘more fundamental than energy inefficiency or cost’’ in some emergency situations, citing the extended outages during the 2022 winter storm that left some all‑electric homes dangerously exposed.

- Ranking Member Representative Kathy Castor (D‑Fla.) said efficiency ‘‘saves money, reduces consumer costs, and it increases household comfort, reliability, and resilience,’’ noting DOE estimates that current standards save the typical household hundreds of dollars a year.

- Jennifer Cleary (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) supported eliminating the six‑year automatic review and told the subcommittee the program should ‘‘prioritize DOE’s work where there are opportunities for meaningful energy, water and cost savings’’ instead of operating on a fixed regulatory clock.

- Andrew Delasky (Appliance Standards Awareness Project) told the subcommittee that existing efficiency standards ‘‘help the typical U.S. household spend $576 less on utility bills in 2024’’ and said further cost‑effective standards could reduce household bills further and reduce peak electricity demand.

- George Lowe (American Gas Association) emphasized consumer choice and reliability, testifying that ‘‘a typical new home that uses natural gas for heating, cooking and drying saves an average of $1,132 per year compared to a home using electricity with those appliances.’’ He also said natural‑gas utilities fund energy‑efficiency programs and have reduced per‑customer gas use substantially since 1970.

Points of contention Members repeatedly clashed on two themes: (1) whether new or amended federal standards and model building codes have increased costs without commensurate utility savings, and (2) whether eliminating fuel choices (for example by de‑facto bans on gas appliances in some local codes) risks grid reliability and household safety during outages. Witnesses and members on both sides cited studies and local examples; DOE committed to providing additional information on several factual points raised during questioning.

Follow‑up and next steps DOE accepted multiple requests from members for additional information. Novak said DOE would take many technical or resource questions ‘‘for the record’’ and follow up on state plan approvals for weatherization, the department’s review processes, and the status of several rulemakings and funding decisions raised during the hearing.

Ending Lawmakers said the hearing will inform markups and potential legislative changes. No committee votes were recorded during the hearing; members on both sides signaled willingness to negotiate on some measures (for example, the weatherization reauthorization) while sharply contesting others (notably provisions they said would limit state and local policy or roll back DOE authority). The subcommittee adjourned after two witness panels and a multi‑hour question period.