Bay Area to Phase Out Gas Furnaces & Water Heaters

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) has adopted new rules that will make dramatic changes to the way San Francisco Bay Area homes are heated. Natural gas-powered furnaces and water heaters will be phased out beginning in 2027 to improve local air quality and public health. Gas-powered stoves will not be included in the list of banned appliances.

It’s a bold move, considering that nearly two-thirds of Bay Area households use natural gas appliances. The BAAQMD says the new mandate will prevent up to 85 premature deaths per year and save up to $890 million annually in health-care costs and lost work. New water heaters and furnaces will be required to have zero emission of NOx, which has been linked to respiratory conditions.

According to Reuters, gas water heaters in single-family homes will be phased out in 2027 and furnaces by 2029 while gas-powered multifamily and commercial water heaters will be eliminated in 2031.