Electrifying your home is an exciting journey. Your path to electrification is as unique as you, with different options based on your goals, resources, climate, routines, and home. With so many factors at play, it’s important to customize your approach to fit your needs. This guide considers all these variables and helps you make decisions tailored to you.
Consider your goals
What is most important to you? Maybe you're looking to save money on heating or cooling costs, or perhaps you’re concerned about your family’s health and want to improve indoor air quality. You might be aiming to make your home more resilient to power outages. Understanding your end goals will help you define your next steps.
Take stock of your resources
Understanding your home’s infrastructure is essential in planning for electrification. These steps can provide insight into your current systems.
List the major energy-consuming items around your home, noting how they are currently powered and their model year. This helps identify which appliances might benefit from upgrading to more efficient electric alternatives.
Homeowners often find themselves needing to replace essential systems like space heating, cooling, and water heating in an emergency. In these situations, installers may recommend a like-for-like replacement to get the job done quickly. Understanding your current systems before they fail allows you to plan ahead for electrification and avoid being locked into another fossil fueled- appliance for the next 10-20 years.
Here’s a short overview of the typical life spans of common appliances:
Furnace: 15-25 years
Boiler: 40 years
Gas fireplace: 15-25 years
Conventional (tank) water heaters: 6-12 years
Instant (tankless) water heaters: 10 years
Dishwashers: 9 years
Freezers: 10-20 years
Gas ranges: 15-17 years
Refrigerators: 9-13 years
Washer: 5-15 years
Dryer: 13 years
Locate your electric panel and check its capacity (usually measured in amps like 100A or 200A) to see how much current it can handle. Look for open circuit breaker slots and inspect for any signs of wear, such as rust or corrosion. If you have an older panel, a panel with less than 100A capacity or no additional breaker slots, these may be indicators of the need for additional electrical work to prepare your home for upgrades. In many cases, homeowners are able to electrify their homes on a 100A panel and avoid expensive and unnecessary electrical upgrades. A professional contractor will be able to give you more specific advice and recommendations.
Review your current utility bills, including electricity and costs associated with fossil-fueled functions in your home like heating or cooking. Utility bills often offer insights into your consumption patterns and may provide comparisons to similar homes in your area. This step can help you identify where electrification could lead to the most significant savings and understand how electrification might change your budget.
Get a professional opinion
After taking stock of your resources, it's wise to consult with a professional to make sure you're on the right track. An energy auditor or experienced contractor can assess your home's readiness for electrification, offering specific insights on costs, timelines, and the best solutions based on your goals and available resources.
It’s best practice to seek multiple opinions to confirm you’re getting the best advice and price. We provide more tips on how to select the right contractor for the job here.
Did You Know? Home heating and cooling account for 53 percent of the average household's energy use, while water heating accounts for 19 percent. Targeting these systems for electrification can significantly reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, improve indoor air quality, and create a more comfortable living environment.