Bay Area homeowners may have an extra year before they are required to replace broken natural gas water heaters with cleaner, more expensive electric models, according to a new proposed version of the rule released Tuesday by regional air regulators.
The requirement had been scheduled to take effect in January. But staff at the Bay Area Air District just proposed delaying it to January 2028, so they can work with distributors, retailers and other groups to ensure a smooth rollout of proposed exemptions. A start date of October 2027 had also been previously floated. The new draft also further clarifies who could qualify for exemptions and how they can do so, focusing largely on low-income households and installations that are too expensive or complicated.
Staff also suggested delaying the start date for larger water heaters for commercial and multifamily properties from January 2031 to January 2033…