For most Bay Area residents, a water heater is not something they think about until the shower suddenly turns cold.
That is why a proposed change to the region’s gas water heater rules could directly affect thousands of households. Bay Area air regulators are considering delaying the start of new zero-emission standards while creating more exemptions for people who cannot reasonably install an electric heat pump water heater.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District released updated details on July 14. The proposal would move the main compliance date for residential water heaters from Jan. 1, 2027, to Jan. 1, 2028…