Change. It’s what we can count on. The world is changing so it’s only logical that our homes will need to change as well. Electrifying your home is bigger picture – decarbonizing, reducing dependence on foreign oil – but also personal. Electrifying your home can make it more comfortable, improve the indoor air quality, and lower your monthly bills. That’s good change.
The interior of a kitchen with stainless steel electric appliances.
Start Small
Change is easiest in small increments. Need a new appliance? Start there. Opt for an induction cooktop over gas. Not only will you be electrifying your home, but you will cook faster – water boils in 4 minutes versus 7 or 8 minutes using electric coils or a gas range. Not only are they fast, but they’re safe. Since they only heat items with iron particles, a misplaced dish towel will never catch on fire. And you can’t beat their energy efficiency – 85-90% of the heat they produce is used for cooking (in comparison to the 65-70% range for electric coils and gas).
Another easy step is replacing an aging gas grill for an electric one. Electric grills never run out of fuel and are much easier to clean. Also, on a health note, they don’t create carcinogens. The downside is you can’t quite get that same flavor you do with a flame.
Building or ready for a new fireplace insert? Consider electric. Most electric inserts plug into a standard 120-volt outlet – a dedicated circuit to the outlet is preferred but not always required. With these inserts, the perks are many. Electric fireplaces can be used in the summertime (flame effect without heat), they don’t release harmful gases into the room, and they are kid and pet safe – no surfaces heat up and cause accidental burns. Another perk? They are extremely efficient – converting electricity to heat with 99% efficiency versus the 60-80% efficiency of gas or wood-burning fireplaces. And they’re cheap. Flame effect without heat costs 50 cents a month to operate. Add heat, and operation costs increase to around $7.80 a month. The savings don’t stop there. Electric fireplace maintenance is basically non-existent. No chimney sweeps, no monitoring for carbon monoxide leaks from fuel lines. The maintenance of an electric fireplace insert is as easy as changing a few light bulbs every couple of years.
Large solar panels on the rooftop of a modern comfortable house.
Bigger Steps
The cost of solar panels has dropped significantly over the last 10 years. It used to be the cost of installing solar panels on your home was $80,000, but now it’s down to $20,000 or less after tax credits and incentives. But that’s still a lot. Not only is the initial cost high, but like everything in real estate, making the decision to go solar comes down to location, location, location. Are you in an area that gets a lot of sun? Does your roof face south or west? Without the right exposure, the effort is in vain. If you are situated in the right location, the next question is how big are the savings? In our area, it’s estimated there’s an average savings of $3000 over a 20-year span following the solar install. The math says it’s still a feel-good technology, but given the jumps at the pump lately, who knows what the future holds.
Another chance at electrifying your home could come when your water heater dies. If that happens, consider a heat pump water heater. They look identical to a typical water heater but use electricity instead of gas (working like a refrigerator in reverse). Like much that is electrical they’re super-efficient – using 3.5-6 times less energy than gas. Most require a 240V dedicated circuit, but given that water heaters are often located in the mechanical room near the panel, running a dedicated circuit isn’t always a huge expense. If you choose a model that requires 15 amps of electricity or less, you have a better chance that the water heaters’ electrical requirements will fit into your existing panel. Also, choose a larger size. Since it takes longer for electricity to heat water than gas, a few more gallons will act as a buffer for the delay in time. Like most energy efficient changes for our homes, there are incentives to help with the additional upfront costs. A $300 federal tax credit and local utility company rebates are offered for replacing gas water heaters in addition to rebates for upgrading your electrical panel if needed.
Change is here, time to make the best of it.
Jeff Stock is the owner of Elk Ridge Electric in Billings.
Jeff Stock is the owner of Elk Ridge Electric.
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