Contact Congress about H.R. 4626: Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act
This bill makes it significantly harder for the Department of Energy to create or strengthen efficiency standards for home appliances and other products. New rules must pass strict cost-benefit tests within 3 years of purchase, cannot reduce product performance, and must save at least 0.3 quads of energy over 30 years or cut usage by 10%. Existing standards can now be revoked through petitions, and DOE is permanently banned from updating transformer efficiency rules.
Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.
Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act is a Senate bill in committee. The latest recorded action: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Latest action on H.R. 4626: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Who this affects: This bill touches almost everyone who buys appliances or pays an electric bill. It changes the balance between up-front product costs and long-term energy savings, with different groups feeling different effects.
Why this matters: Federal efficiency standards affect what products are available, how much they cost upfront, and how much you pay in energy bills over time. This bill fundamentally shifts the balance toward protecting short-term costs over long-term savings.
Key provisions in H.R. 4626
- DOE must perform a detailed economic impact analysis before setting any new efficiency standard, covering effects on low-income households, rural areas, regional differences, jobs, and full product lifecycle costs.
- A standard cannot be called 'economically justified' if it will likely cause net additional costs to consumers or if the first 3 years of energy/water savings don't exceed any added costs.
- New standards must save at least 0.3 quads of site energy over 30 years or reduce the product's energy or water use by at least 10%.
- DOE is banned from adopting standards that reduce product performance, utility, lifespan, compatibility, duty cycle, charging time, run time, maintenance needs, or disposal requirements.
- DOE must ensure standards don't reduce market competition, create price discrimination, or make certain fuel-type products unavailable.
How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 4626
You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.
Questions people ask about H.R. 4626
- What is H.R. 4626?
- This bill makes it significantly harder for the Department of Energy to create or strengthen efficiency standards for home appliances and other products. New rules must pass strict cost-benefit tests within 3 years of purchase, cannot reduce product performance, and must save at least 0.3 quads of energy over 30 years or cut usage by 10%. Existing standards can now be revoked through petitions, and DOE is permanently banned from updating transformer efficiency rules.
- How do I support or oppose H.R. 4626?
- Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.
- Who should I contact about H.R. 4626?
- Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.
- Can Modern Action explain H.R. 4626 before I act?
- Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.
