Washington, D.C.– This afternoon the League of Conservation Voters sent the below letter to the House to oppose H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, which is designed to line Big Polluters’ pockets with families’ hard-earned dollars. In response to House Republicans attempting Appliance Week 2.0, the League of Conservation Voters shared the following statement from Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis: 

“MAGA Republicans will stop at absolutely nothing to keep Big Polluters happy. Just last week, they rolled back protections for public lands to help Big Oil and other polluters. Now, instead of trying to tackle the most urgent issues, like the climate crisis or safeguarding voting rights, they are trying— for the second time— to roll back appliance efficiency standards that save money for consumers, proving that they don’t have the best interest of our communities or families in mind. The Biden-Harris Administration has consistently prioritized building a clean energy future that lowers energy costs, creates good paying jobs, and protects our planet; MAGA extremists should be doing the same.”

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May 6, 2024

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Re: Oppose H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act

Dear Representatives: 

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) believes that everyone has a right to clean air, clean water, public lands, and a safe climate protected by a just and equitable democracy. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of members of Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to LCV members, concerned voters nationwide, and the media.

LCV urges you to vote NO on H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, which would effectively block the Department of Energy from setting appliance efficiency standards that lower consumer costs and reduce wasted energy and water. If enacted, this bill would block new money-saving efficiency standards and could jeopardize existing specifications for household appliances. This bill could force customers to rely on outdated, inefficient technology and must be rejected.

The Department of Energy has long-standing authority to set forward looking efficiency standards that lower energy costs for consumers, improve grid reliability, and lower overall energy and water usage. Efficiency standards promulgated by the agency cut household utility bills by an average of $500 a year. This bill would prevent the agency from appropriately considering utility bill savings when setting appliance efficiency standards, pushing consumers towards options that cost them more money in the long term. 

The benefits of energy and water efficient appliances extend well beyond the individual household. As nationwide energy demand grows, energy efficient appliances relieve stress on the grid and tight water supplies, and improve overall systems’ reliability. The energy efficiency industry also employees more than 2.2 million Americans, creating jobs in 99% of US counties. Finally, efficiency standards lead to reduced pollution from buildings and power plants, improving air quality and public health, including in low-income communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution. These benefits and more are under threat by H.R. 6192. 

We urge you to REJECT H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. LCV will strongly consider including votes on this bill in our 2024 National Environmental Scorecard. If you would like more information, please reach out to a member of our government relations team.

Sincerely,
Gene Karpinski
President