Senator Becker Introduces Legislation To Remove Barriers To Healthy, Cozy Homes

SB 1095 removes outdated legal barriers blocking Californians from switching their home appliances from gas to electric, making it easier for them to choose appliances that make their homes cozier, healthier and zero-emission.

Sacramento, CA—Today Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) announced legislation that will remove outdated legal barriers preventing Californians from switching their home appliances from gas to electric. Enabling this change for more Californians will increase access to appliances that improve the health and coziness of more buildings and homes.

“As Californians continue to electrify their homes and upgrade their appliances to clean energy, we need to ensure that our laws and regulations create an easy and effective process that will encourage people to get to net-zero,” said Becker. ‘The Cozy Homes Cleanup Act moves California closer towards our climate goals by knocking down barriers and delays to those improvements.”

“SB 1095 makes targeted, common sense updates to statute that will enable more Californians to choose to power their appliances with clean electricity, including those living in manufactured homes,” Merrian Borgeson, California Director for Climate & Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council.

“When consumers make the switch to zero emission appliances, that transition should be seamless and with minimal delays due to restrictions in laws or local homeowner association rules. SB 1095 streamlines the ability to install zero emission appliances and authorizes the California Housing and Community Development Department to update standards to allow for installations in mobile and manufactured homes,” said Philip Fine, Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

To achieve California’s ambitious climate goals, the state has set a target of deploying 6 million new heat pumps by 2030. Residential buildings compose eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California. SB 1095, The Cozy Homes Cleanup Act, supports this target by eliminating legal barriers inhibiting or delaying individuals from upgrading homes from gas to electric appliances, particularly for those in mobile and manufactured homes, or those in HomeOwner Associations.

Specifically, the Cozy Homes Cleanup Act does the following:

• Clarifies the authority of individuals to replace gas with electric appliances in mobile and manufactured homes; 
• Clarifies outdated provisions in the Department of Housing and Community Development code to ensure individuals and locals are not prohibited from making the switch; and 
• Prevents Home Owner Associations from blocking residents from switching from gas to electric appliances.

SB 1095 is sponsored by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and supported by the Natural Resource Defense Council.