The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to our readers in each newspaper. This edition’s tip was written by Antonella Wells, a member of Resilient Palisades’ Clean Energy team.
The significance of home electrification has become increasingly apparent, especially in light of the 100 Percent Clean Energy Act, which became a California law five years ago. This law mandates that by 2030, 60% of the state’s electricity must originate from renewable sources with the ultimate target of achieving complete carbon neutrality by 2045.
Of course, it will be impossible to attain complete carbon neutrality without fully electrifying our homes.
A significant portion of our individual carbon footprints stems from activities such as vehicle usage (50%), home heating (25%) and water heating (10%). By transitioning these aspects to electric power, we can substantially decrease our overall emissions footprint.
But saving the planet aside, there are two other reasons to take action to electrify our homes now: cost savings as well as health and safety.
Embracing electrical systems can result in real cost savings. Technologies like induction cooktops are inherently more energy efficient.
In the winter, heat pumps harness colder air to generate and transfer heat indoors. They can produce more than four times the amount of heat energy (measured in kilowatt-hours) than they consume in electricity, making them significantly more efficient than traditional electric resistance heaters.
In the summer, heat pumps do the reverse. Together, induction cooktops and heat pumps can eliminate your gas bill and lower your overall utility bills, particularly when coupled with rooftop solar and storage, which many Palisadians have installed thanks to Resilient Palisades’ Pali Microgrid group purchasing program.
Finally, induction cookers and heat pumps offer distinct safety advantages over natural gas delivery systems. Gas-based systems compromise indoor air quality and pose serious health hazards. They can also leak, which creates risk for all family members.
In fully electrifying your home, you can take advantage of LADWP incentives and programs. LADWP provides incentives for purchasing and installing heat pumps and runs a Consumer Rebate Program to encourage residential customers to adopt energy-efficient products and practices.
For more information on LADWP’s programs and rebates related to home electrification, visit their website at ladwp.com/residential-services/programs-and-rebates-residential/consumer-rebate-program.
Home electrification is a movement whose time has come. It not only aligns with environmental goals but also offers tangible benefits such as cost savings and improved safety, making it a crucial step in our collective journey toward a sustainable future.
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