Home Electrification
It’s time to leave fossil fuels behind, starting with your home
You home might be extremely energy-efficient and you may already have a solar system, however, if you still have a gas furnace, water heater, fireplace, dryer, or stove, you are continuing the demand for fossil fuels.
In order to tackle the climate crisis, we need to eliminate all sources of fossil fuels in our buildings (and vehicles). Although natural gas emits less carbon dioxide compared to other fossil fuels, its primary component, methane, is 86 times stronger than carbon dioxide at trapping heat within a 20 year period. Gas stoves (and other gas appliances) also throw off pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. While cooking, these invisible pollutants reach levels that would be illegal outdoors, but the Clean Air Act doesn’t reach inside the home. Scientists link gas stoves to asthma attacks and hospitalizations. It’s time to electrify everything.
The many ways you can ditch fossil fuels and go all electric:
There is an electric replacement for every single gas appliance in your home. Make the swap whenever it makes sense for you, but especially when replacing one of the items listed below. Your electric utility most likely offers a rebate for these items, making it more affordable. Although the cost may be higher upfront than a gas appliance, most of these will pay for themselves within a few years through energy savings.
Ask your Neighbor
Local homeowners who have electrified their home created a resource for others to learn from, sharing what kind of heating & cooling system they went with, who installed it, and other items throughout the house they have swapped from gas to electric. These homeowners have willingly shared their contact information in case you would like to reach out to them with questions or advice. Click here to learn more.
In case you missed it, EarthFest hosted a webinar with a few of these homeowners to discuss the lessons learned throughout their electrification process.
GreenHome Institute
GreenHome Institute has a wealth of resources for making your home more energy-efficient. They have hundreds of vidoes posted to their YouTube channel to learn about everything from green building and remodeling to healthy materials and indoor air quality. You can register for their upcoming webinars or watch them later on their YouTube Channel.
You can find more educational videos at our YouTube Channel here!
Check out our Events Calendar for upcoming events to learn more about electrification and energy-efficiency.