When I turn on my gas stove, nitrogen oxide fumes flow into my kitchen. This happens every time I light a burner to boil water or fry an egg, and the pollution soon reaches levels that are harmful to my heart and lungs.
Most homes in Maryland and Montgomery County that use gas stoves have the same problem. Commercial kitchens are required to have large exhaust fans, but my typical home kitchen fan is far too small to do the job.
In 2025, Montgomery County has a great opportunity to phase out harmful gas appliances from apartment buildings.
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Pollution from gas stoves causes asthma and heart disease and gas stoves should be a thing of the past. In 2022, the American Medical Association recommended that all households switch from gas to electric stoves due to the risk of asthma in children. Asthma is a leading cause of children missing school.
In addition to polluting household air, gas appliances and pipes often leak methane, a major cause of global warming. Leaks can also lead to explosions.
In February, the Montgomery County Council will vote to require existing apartment buildings and other large commercial buildings to become more energy efficient. Outdated gas stoves, water heaters and ovens would be replaced with efficient electric induction stoves or heat pumps as they wear out. These replacements will occur over a period of 10 or more years, and building owners will receive financial and technical assistance from the county government.
Not only would eliminating gas appliances have health benefits, but high-efficiency appliances would also reduce energy costs for families living in apartment buildings.
The district regulations, called Building Energy Performance Standards, would apply to larger apartment buildings as well as other commercial buildings. The health benefits for lower-income renters would be important.
Black children are five times more likely to go to the emergency room for asthma than white children. Tenants cannot replace gas stoves in their apartments, so we need the BEPS regulations to help landlords switch from gas appliances.
Many chefs like their gas stoves, but modern electric induction stoves offer great control when cooking and are extremely energy efficient. In 2022, Montgomery County passed a law requiring all new homes to be built with electric stoves, water heaters and HVAC systems.
I am fortunate to own my own home in Bethesda. In 2024, with financial and technical assistance from Montgomery County's Electrify MC program, I replaced my aging gas water heater with an efficient electric heat pump water heater. As my gas stove and oven get older, I will be replacing them with modern electric appliances. We owe it to lower-income families who rent apartments to provide them with the same health benefits.
The Montgomery County Council should adopt BEPS regulations to improve the health of our children and the environment.