President-elect Donald Trump is once again setting his sights on rolling back what he views as overreaching regulatory policies from the Biden administration, this time zeroing in on gas stoves and heaters. Sources close to Trump’s transition team suggest he’s actively considering an executive order to protect these household staples from a wave of federal, state, and local restrictions aimed at curbing their use. The proposed order would limit federal funding for any efforts to ban or increase costs associated with gas appliances—a direct counter to the Biden administration’s recent push for stricter efficiency standards.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Trump didn’t mince words. “The heat is much better,” he said, referring to gas-powered appliances. “It’s a much better heat. As the expression goes, you don’t itch.” Behind the characteristically offbeat phrasing lies a serious point: gas-powered stoves and heaters are not only reliable but also more affordable for millions of American households.
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 75 million American households relied on natural gas for at least one appliance as of 2020—a number that’s grown in recent years. Among those, around 47 million households use gas for cooking, marking a steady increase from 39 million in 2015. These numbers paint a clear picture: gas appliances aren’t some niche luxury—they’re an integral part of how many Americans heat their homes and prepare their meals.
The Biden administration’s war on gas stoves wasn’t a quiet affair. In early 2023, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. infamously declared gas stoves a “hidden hazard,” warning that “Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.” That statement set off a political firestorm, leading the administration to backpedal rapidly. Yet, the damage was done—public trust was shaken, and the idea of government agents inspecting kitchens for outlawed stoves became an enduring image in conservative circles.
While the outright ban proposal fizzled, the Department of Energy (DOE) pressed on with new energy efficiency standards. Their initial draft regulations, released in 2023, would have rendered nearly 50% of gas stove models non-compliant. Critics slammed the rules as an indirect ban, and eventually, after substantial backlash, the DOE scaled back the proposal. By early 2024, the regulations were revised to impact only 3% of gas stoves and 23% of electric models.
However, state and local efforts to eliminate natural gas have continued unabated. New York made headlines as the first state to ban natural gas hookups in newly constructed homes, with the ban set to take effect by 2026. Cities like Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles quickly followed suit, passing ordinances aimed at phasing out gas infrastructure in new developments.
Trump, ever attuned to cultural flashpoints, has seized on this issue as a prime example of government overreach. His argument is simple: gas stoves and heaters are not only plentiful and efficient but also cheaper to operate than their electric counterparts. The push to restrict or phase them out, in his view, is less about practical climate policy and more about ideological zealotry.
The proposed executive order would put immediate brakes on federal funding supporting state and local gas appliance bans. More broadly, it would signal a shift away from regulatory micromanagement and toward policies that prioritize affordability and choice for American families.
But Trump’s stance isn’t just about policy—it’s also about politics. Gas stoves have become a symbol of the cultural divide between coastal urban progressivism and the rest of America. For Trump and his supporters, defending gas appliances isn’t just about keeping kitchens and living rooms warm—it’s about pushing back against what they see as an elite-driven agenda detached from the realities of everyday life.
