Picturing Where to Electrify Everything
There are ten places in and around your home to electrify. This preview picture from the guide shows you where to look — from your garage to your kitchen to the attic to the roof. Download the full book above.
Electrification Planning Chart
Use this chart to make a plan to electrify everything in your home. Choose what you’ll tackle first based on:
- How close your existing machines are to their end of life.
- The estimated replacement cost and annual savings from switching to electric.
- Whether you’ll need a new outlet for the appliance (to plan ahead for when it fails).
- The impact your new electric appliance might have on your emissions and air quality.
Download the full book above.
Electrification Checklist for Homeowners
If you’re a homeowner or landlord, this checklist will help you identify what electric things you already have in your home, and what things you might want to get. Download the full book above.
Electrification Checklist for Renters
If you’re a renter, this checklist will help you plan to electrify some of the things in your home, letting you choose from the list of options available. Download the full book above.
Testimonials
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Redwood Energy
Sean Armstrong
“A clear, concise call for climate solutions starting at home — live better electrically!”
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Electrify Now
Brian Stewart
“As more people hear about the benefits of electrifying their lives to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions and live more comfortably, a comprehensive guide like this to help them through the process is indispensable.”
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Solar United Neighbors
Ben Delman
“Electrifying your home is an important step to take control of where your electricity comes from. This guide will lead you down the path. It is perfect for current or prospective solar owners to get the most out of their investment in solar energy.”
Press Releases
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Rewiring America
December 15, 2021
Rewiring America Releases Electrify Everything in Your Home
“‘I couldn’t be more excited to release Electrify Everything in Your Home as a guide to help people take the first steps to going all-electric, regardless of their familiarity or understanding of their current home appliances,’ said author and Rewiring America researcher Joel Rosenberg.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Electrify
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Are these appliances worse than the ones I have now?
No! These are modern electric appliances, often with computer control, that makes them work much better than the clunky, outdated machines they’re replacing. But it helps to use experienced contractors who know what they’re doing, so that the design and installation goes well, and you’re happy with the result.
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Which appliances have the biggest impact for reducing my carbon emissions?
On average, the three biggest contributors to your emissions are your car (50 percent), home heating (25 percent), and water heating (10 percent). If you electrify those three, you’ll make a big impact on your personal “carbon footprint.”
Cost of Electrification
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I want to electrify everything, but how can I afford it?
Replacing all of your fossil fueled appliances all at once would be expensive, but you don’t have to do them all at once — you can replace things as they fail. The important thing is that you have a plan to electrify, so you don’t get stuck when an old appliance breaks, and you can’t electrify it because you need an electrician to install an outlet, or you need to upsize your electrical service.
That said, there are rebates on individual appliances, and financing options available. There are also the cost savings from lower operating costs for more efficient appliances that help pay back your initial investment. And there are things you can do with minimal upfront cost, like switching your utility plan to renewable energy, and getting a portable induction burner.
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Doesn’t electricity cost more than fossil fuels like natural gas?
Natural gas is very cheap in the U.S., so it’s hard to beat on price alone. Since heat pumps can be more than 3 times as energy efficient as natural gas furnaces, there’s a good chance that your heat pump heating bill will be comparable or even lower than your natural gas bill.
Chapter 1: Purchase Renewable Energy
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My local utility doesn’t have a renewable energy option. What other options do I have?
Many areas have Community Solar and Community Wind projects you could join, where you “subscribe” to power produced by them. You could create a community project if there isn’t one available to you. You could demand your Rural Electric Cooperative switch to renewables. And you could install solar panels on your roof or yard.
Chapter 2: Electrical Service
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I have a 60 Amp breaker box. Do I need an upgrade if I want to electrify everything in my home? Should I get 100 Amp or 200 Amp?
If you don’t have at least 100 Amps available in your home, you’ll eventually need to upsize your electrical service to electrify everything in your home. If you’re upgrading, you should consider going to 200A if it’s not much more expensive. That said, there are many things you can do before needing to upgrade even a 60A panel, e
