Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act

This bill would modify how the Department of Energy (DOE) establishes energy conservation standards for household appliances, allowing the agency to update standards as needed rather than according to fixed deadlines. It proposes new criteria for determining if a standard is economically justified and allows for the revocation of standards that increase consumer costs, lack technological feasibility, or limit product availability. Additionally, the bill would prohibit new standards for distribution transformers and require the DOE to disclose meetings with entities that have ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those advocating for energy restrictions.

This bill directly affects the Department of Energy (DOE), which would be subject to new criteria and disclosure requirements when issuing or revising energy conservation standards. Consumers of household appliances, such as gas stoves, clothes washers, and dishwashers, are affected by changes to product availability and cost considerations. Additionally, the bill impacts entities that meet with the DOE if they have ties to the Chinese Communist Party, have advocated for energy restrictions, or have received federal funding.

• Modification of energy conservation standard timelines. The bill removes fixed deadlines for the Department of Energy to amend energy conservation standards for consumer products, allowing updates to be made as needed.
• Criteria for revoking or amending existing standards. The Department of Energy may grant petitions to revoke or change standards if they increase consumer costs, fail to conserve significant energy or water, are technologically unfeasible, or limit the commercial availability of products like gas stoves.
• Revised economic justification requirements. The bill establishes new criteria for determining if a standard is economically justified and requires the Department of Energy to consider additional factors regarding product cost and availability.
• Disclosure requirements for certain entities. The Department of Energy must disclose meetings with entities that have ties to the Chinese Communist Party, have advocated for energy restrictions, or have received federal funding.
• Prohibition on distribution transformer standards. The bill prohibits the Department of Energy from prescribing new or revised energy conservation standards specifically for distribution transformers.
• Standards for clothes washers and dishwashers. The Department of Energy is authorized to prescribe certain new or amended energy and water conservation standards for household clothes washers and dishwashers.

• H.R. 4626, Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act
  Feb 6, 2026 · As reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on January 30, 2026

This bill modifies the Department of Energy's existing authority to issue and revise energy conservation standards for consumer products, including household appliances. It changes current regulatory procedures by removing certain deadlines for amending standards and establishing new criteria for revoking, amending, or determining the economic justification of these standards.

The bill aims to modify how the Department of Energy establishes energy conservation standards for household appliances by prioritizing consumer costs, product availability, and technological feasibility. It also seeks to increase transparency regarding foreign influence in the regulatory process and limits the department's authority to regulate specific products like distribution transformers.