Bay Area to Ban Sales of Gas Furnaces and Water Heaters by 2026.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has approved rules to phase out the sale and installation of natural gas furnaces and water heaters over the next eight years, requiring zero-NOx models to be sold and installed instead. The rules aim to reduce air pollution from natural gas-powered heaters and furnaces, which release pollutants outside, and to speed up the region's transition to electric appliances and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The rules do not apply to gas stoves, gas-powered dryers, water heaters larger than 2 million BTU/hour, appliances that use propane or other non-natural gas fuels, and mobile home furnaces.