For years, studies have shown that cooking indoors with gas stoves is potentially harmful to our health, particularly for children with asthma.
Now a U.S. safety agency has weighed in on the potential dangers, warning that they may move to regulate their use. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death, announced they are turning up the heat on gas stoves.
“This is a hidden hazard,” Richard Trumka Jr., an agency commissioner, told Bloomberg. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”
Related: Electric Stoves Are Much Better for the Environment than Gas Stoves. Here’s Why.
Going electric
About 38% of U.S. households use gas stoves, but that number rises to around 70% in states such as California and New Jersey.
For this reason, many cities and counties across the country have begun to adopt policies to require or encourage consumers to switch from fossil fuels to all-electric homes and buildings.
In New York City, for example, the building code requires all-electric for new low-rise buildings in 2024 and taller buildings in 2027. Los Angeles passed legislation to ban most natural gas-fueled appliances in newly constructed residential and commercial buildings starting this month.
The Inflation Reduction Act also offers tax credits for those who go electric. Middle-income households are now eligible for over a half-dozen tax credits for electric stoves, cars, and solar panels.
Gas advocates push back
Not everyone is in favor of banning the blue flame.
The American Gas Association says that a ban on gas stoves is unwarranted.
“The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA do not present gas ranges as a significant contributor to adverse air quality or health hazard in their technical or public information literature, guidance, or requirements,” said Karen Harbert, AGA president. “The most practical, realistic way to achieve a sustainable future where energy is clean, as well as safe, reliable and affordable, is to ensure it includes natural gas and the infrastructure that transports it.”
Others argue that the problem is in ventilation, not the gas itself.
“Ventilation is really where this discussion should be, rather than banning one particular type of technology,” Jill Notini, a vice president of The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers told Bloomberg. “Banning one type of a cooking appliance is not going to address the concerns about overall indoor air quality.”
But Trumka disagrees, saying the Consumer Safety Commission will issue a proposal and possible ban in the coming months.
“There is this misconception that if you want to do fine-dining kind of cooking it has to be done on gas,” he said. “It’s a carefully manicured myth.”
***Update***
After we reported on this story, Richard Trumka Jr walked back his comment about banning gas stoves,, The story caused an uproar among some consumers and politicians, including Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
This is a recipe for disaster. The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on. https://t.co/8IEFM44UvE
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 10, 2023
Trumka clarified his statement, saying:
“We are not looking to go into anyone’s homes and take away items that are already there. We don’t do that,” Trumka told CNN. “If and when we get to regulation on the topic, it’s always forward looking. You know, it applies to new products. Consumers always have the choice of what to keep in their homes and we want to make sure they do that with full information.”
