The benefits of whole home electrification
By transitioning to a whole home system, customers can experience a wealth of great benefits, from reduced costs to physical and home health improvements — all while making important contributions to the long-term health and safety of our environment.
30%
Since the start of 2020, electricity price hikes due to everything from the pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have brought the world to an energy crisis. In fact, from the beginning of 2020 to 2024, the cost of electricity for the average U.S. home increased almost 30%.
$130 - $540
Research shows that, compared to legacy homes, a newly constructed electrified home in the U.S. saves homeowners on average $130 to $540 annually — plus, they avoid the average $6,000 paid upfront by builders for gas line connections.
$330
Switching to a heat pump water heater can save homeowners an average of $330 per year, while an all-electric HVAC system can reduce energy costs by $1,000 annually.
Financial benefits
Since the start of 2020, electricity price hikes due to everything from the pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have brought the world to an energy crisis. In fact, from the beginning of 2020 to 2024, the cost of electricity for the average U.S. home increased almost 30%.
But whole home electrification, paired with a solar-plus-storage system, can net utility bill savings that help consumers weather cost increases due to challenging economic circumstances — now and in the future.
At face value, home electrification may seem a major cost roadblock to consumers. But research shows that, compared to legacy homes, a newly constructed electrified home in the U.S. saves homeowners on average $130 to $540 annually — plus, they avoid the average $6,000 paid upfront by builders for gas line connections.
The benefits aren’t exclusive to new construction, of course. Retrofitting existing homes with electric appliances like heat pumps, heat pump hot water heaters, and other improvements can lower bills significantly. For example, switching to a heat pump water heater can save homeowners an average of $330 per year, while an all-electric HVAC system can reduce energy costs by $1,000 annually. Another way to potentially save more is by pairing whole home electrification with a solar system, including solar panels, and a storage solution like a lithium-ion battery, creating an energy- and cost-efficient solar-plus-storage system.
On top of that, depending on their region’s natural gas costs, many areas in the U.S. can see even larger savings — and as the reliability and capacity of electric power grids improve over time, the savings add up.
Physical health benefits
All-electric homes are healthy homes. By converting to an electrified home, consumers eliminate in-home gas leaks and the potential for exposure to harmful natural gasses and propane traditionally used to power homes. In doing so, they can greatly reduce indoor pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and a whole host of particulates, improving their overall indoor air quality and reducing the risk of exposing their families to serious health issues like cancer, heart disease, and asthma.
But electrified homes can do more than just improve air quality. With electric heat pumps and hybrid systems, consumers get more consistent in-home temperatures, improving comfort and helping them to avoid various health risks from prolonged excessive exposure to heat and cold. This is unlike conventional gas-powered HVAC units, which tend to generate uneven temperatures due to a lack of dedicated maintenance or incorrect sizing.
💡 Did you know?
Homes that use gas stoves can have up to 400% higher nitrogen dioxide levels than homes with electric stoves, increasing risk of lung irritation, asthma, and other respiratory ailments.
Home health benefits
People spend a lot on their homes — it’s natural they want them to be protected at all times. But what they may not realize is that traditional power options like gas and oil can expose their home to harmful contaminants that can rot walls, soak ceilings, contaminate lawns and water supplies, and more, including:
- Petroleum hydrocarbons
- Metals
- Naturally occurring radioactive materials
- Salts
- Toxic chemicals
Whole home electrification helps greatly reduce the presence of these contaminants, all while minimizing noise pollution from oil and gas hums homeowners may hear coming from within and beneath their homes.
Environmental benefits
We all share this one planet. It’s up to all of us, including homeowners, to take steps to preserve our environment so that future generations can not just survive, but thrive.
As a solar installer, you have the unique opportunity to educate homeowners on how electrifying their homes can enable them to have a huge impact on the long-term sustainability of their local communities and Earth. That’s because whole home electrification massively reduces the carbon emissions of homeowners and their families. In fact, by simply replacing a gas-fired furnace with an all-electric heat pump, the typical U.S. home can cut its heating-related climate pollution by 45% to 72%.
💡 Did you know?
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, replacing natural gas with clean electricity will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from California's single-family homes by up to 90% within the next three decades.
In the next section, we’ll look at some specific electric appliances, their potential benefits, and what homeowners need to know.