| Government Affairs |
Public Comment Period Open for Water Heater Ban
On November 4, 2026, the Bay Area Air District Board of Directors will consider changes to Rule 9-6 (mandated ban) for water heaters. The changes being considered would, if approved, provide for some exemptions to the zero-nitrogen oxides standard and could delay the compliance date one year, to January 1, 2028.
Responding to public outcry about the mandate, the Air District has released Proposed Rule Language, a Preliminary Staff Report, an Updated Socioeconomic Impact Analysis, and an Addendum to the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed affordability amendments for Rule 9-6 for water heaters. These materials are available on the Bay Area Air District building appliances webpage.
The public comment period will close on November 1 at 6 PM. SAMCAR members and San Mateo County homeowners are encouraged to provide online comments that must be submitted through the Air District's public comment tool to be considered. Under Air District policy, they will not consider comments on regulations that are submitted by email.
SAMCAR supports de-carbonization of homes, but that the policy should be voluntary. SAMCAR has long opposed the mandates on gas water heaters and furnaces bans, citing lack of public outreach, PG&E grid reliability challenges, Bay Area older homes, socio economic impacts, impacts to seniors, and possible high costs for homeowners to electrify their homes.
Additional Resources
Energy Efficiency Toolkit for REALTORS® »
Case Study: Potential Cost Range of All-Electric Conversion »
