Home Electrification: Health, Safety, and Savings

While New Yorkers across the state are working on their New Year’s resolutions to be healthier this year, the flu, RSV, and COVID have had other ideas. A ‘tridemic’ hit New York State a few weeks ago, and many families are still recovering. If that wasn’t enough, homeowners are also struggling with rising costs, including abnormally high electric bills. 

Luckily for New Yorkers, there is a solution to both problems. Home electrification and the adoption of clean, renewable energy can help homeowners save month after month on electric bills and can reduce air pollutants from being released into our communities. New York State signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act into law in 2019, and it set ambitious climate goals for the state. In December 2022, the NYS Climate Action Council Scoping Plan was advanced, detailing how the mass adoption of clean energy, like solar, can help reduce rates of respiratory illnesses.

Help build a healthier future

Traditional energy sources, like home heating oil or gas, release fine particulate matter and other air pollutants. According to the NYS Scoping Plan, this leads to a decrease in air quality, and can exacerbate respiratory illnesses and conditions, as well as a variety of diseases.

The adoption of renewable energy, including solar, can help reduce the amount of air pollution in your community and your home. Solar panels collect energy from the sun and convert it to electricity. This can power your entire home, including your lights, appliances, heating and cooling, and even your car. Since solar is clean energy, it can greatly reduce the release of air pollutants into your community.

You can further decrease health risks by completely electrifying your home and investing in other upgrades, like an electric heat pump.

An electric heat pump can heat and cool your home using clean energy produced by your home’s solar panel. The pump works by transferring heat between your home and the environment. You are able to reduce your reliance on conventional fuel sources like oil and natural gas, while also eliminating the need for separate heating and cooling systems.

Other home improvements you can make include switching from a gas stove to an electric stove. When powered by solar, an electric stove is more environmentally friendly, and reduces the risk of gas leaks in your home. Additional improvements include replacing older windows with newer ones with better insulation, switching from a natural gas dryer to a combination washer/dryer, or swapping a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle to an electric vehicle and installing a home charging station.

The Inflation Reduction Act can help offset the cost of home electrification through different tax incentives and rebates. Download our free guide to the IRA to learn more about the financial opportunities available.

Save more with solar

Adding a solar system to your home can help you save more on high electric bills from day one. For $0 down, many homeowners are able to reduce their electric bill to only $20 each month, which is the required grid connection fee. With the cost of living going up and many homeowners receiving abnormally high electric bills, solar can offer valuable savings, and we offer three ways to pay for solar; purchasing, financing or leasing. We estimate that over your system’s 20+ year lifetime, you can save over $100,000 on your electric bills. 

Installing a heat pump, like a geothermal heating system, can also reduce your heating and cooling bills. When paired with solar, a heat pump reduces your reliance on traditional energy sources. Instead, you will utilize any energy produced by your solar system. With solar, it can cost a typical family as little as $760 to heat and cool their home. Without solar, a heat pump can cost around $2,565 using energy from a local electric utility company.

If you can’t go solar

If you rent your home or can’t add solar panels to your home for any other reason, don’t worry, you can still reap the clean energy benefits. You can enroll in a community solar program and reduce your electric bills by 10% each month. 

You can also participate in our referral program and help your friends and family embrace clean energy. When someone you refer completes an in-home solar assessment, you’ll receive a $50 Amazon gift card. After your referral completes a solar installation on their home, you will receive a $500 gift. You can make as many referrals as you want. This gives you the ability to earn endless rewards while building a healthier, cleaner tomorrow. 

Next steps

Book your appointment today to discover your potential savings with home electrification and begin referring your friends and family.