By Shannon Wilson, ElectrifyPDX Program Manager
Have you been searching for a way to take meaningful action on climate change? Are you worried about high utility bills? Is your home uncomfortable during extreme summer heat? Our local nonprofit program, ElectrifyPDX, is helping Portlanders upgrade their homes and drastically reduce their carbon footprint through efficient electrification.
Attend the Wednesday, July 10 Linnton Neighborhood Association meeting to see a short presentation by ElectrifyPDX about the benefits of home electrification.
“Electrification” means swapping out older gas and resistance electric appliances for a new generation of super-efficient electric appliances that vastly outperform the ones we all grew up with. They use dramatically less energy, reduce energy bills, improve indoor air quality, increase comfort, and add value to your home.
Every home and household is different – you don’t need to electrify all at once. Make a plan and timeline based on your budget. Then when something breaks, you’ll be ready to upgrade rather than replacing it with the same old system. Get started by downloading ElectrifyPDX’s home inventory sheet at https://tinyurl.com/yc68eh2u.
Photo from electrifypdx.org
Efficient electric homes feature heat pumps for quiet and efficient heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters that are 3 times as efficient as resistance electric or gas water heaters, and induction ranges that outperform resistance and gas ranges of yesteryear and protect you and your family from the negative health impacts of burning gas in your kitchen.
Electrification does involve up-front costs, but significant financial incentives are available to help pay for them. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers a 30% federal tax credit for qualified energy efficient upgrades, and up-front rebates are coming in 2024. Check out your potential savings at Rewiring America’s IRA Calculator – https://homes.rewiringamerica.org/calculator. If you income-qualify, there are low- or no-cost options for electrifying and making your home more efficient. Download ElectrifyPDX’s info sheet for more details at https://tinyurl.com/bdht335b.
Whether your home is already entirely electric or you’re in the process of switching over, you can clean up your electricity supply by signing up for community solar (for clean power and lower bills at https://www.arcadia.com/community-solar, your utility’s green power program, and/or installing rooftop solar if it’s in your budget.
Want to learn more?
• Visit ElectrifyPDX at https://electrifypdx.org/ to join our mailing list for electrification tips, resources, and invitations to future events.
• Check out the helpful webinars and videos created by Electrify Now – https://tinyurl.com/ycfdwb8v – on topics like heat pumps, induction cooking, and solar.
• Attend the July 10th Linnton Neighborhood Association meeting to see a short presentation by ElectrifyPDX about the benefits of home electrification.