Accessibility Tools
Reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact
Improve indoor air quality throughout your home
Here is some guidance on building your team of professionals to help you design and build your own healthy, efficient, and electric home.
And here is a partial list of Colorado architects, builders and other professionals who can help you.
Here is another partial listing: Colorado Green Building Guild (CGBG) Directory
Beneficial electrification is the third key element in state and local plans to achieve aggressive climate change goals. The first two key elements are: a) using energy as efficiently as possible, and b) reducing the carbon-intensity of the electricity grid through renewable energy sources. With lower carbon-emitting electricity, the third element – switching from fossil fuel use to electricity, in buildings and vehicles, results in significant carbon dioxide emission reductions.
Beneficial electrification means converting equipment from fossil fuel use to electricity use, when the conversion results in at least one of these benefits:
For an all-electric new home, the heating costs will be about the same or slightly lower than for a more traditional home using natural gas for heating. However, for most existing homes that install a new heat pump system, the heating costs with the heat pump may be slightly higher.
All-electric new homes cost about the same or slightly less than homes with traditional fuel-based space and water heating and gas ranges.
It could be expensive to switch your home completely to electric heating and appliances. But we suggest a more gradual approach, taking one system or appliance at a time. First, installing a heat pump system costs more than a gas or propane furnace, but the heat pump also provides cooling. The heat pump system costs about the same as the total for a gas or propane furnace combined with a central air conditioning system. Next, a heat pump water heater costs slightly more than a natural gas or propane water heater, but there are utility rebates available in many areas. An induction cooktop/electric range costs slightly more than an equivalent gas cooktop/range, but performs better and produces no harmful air pollutants. To reduce your annual electricity costs, you could also consider adding a solar PV system, or purchasing some of your home’s electricity from a solar garden. And you can apply for a loan to finance all of the above electric conversions.
Electrification offers several potential benefits:
Electric cars are one example. In the home, you can electrify your heating by switching from natural gas or propane to an efficient electric heat pump. You can also switch your hot water heater from natural gas or propane to a heat pump water heater. And for cooking, you can switch your gas stove to an induction cooktop/electric range.
Electrification means converting heating systems, equipment, or appliances to run on electricity, instead of using a fuel such as natural gas, propane, or gasoline.
Love Electric aims to accelerate the adoption of heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and other efficient electric technologies in homes and businesses across Colorado, to lower consumer energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide improved health, comfort and other benefits. Love Electric is an initiative of the Beneficial Electrification League of Colorado (BEL-CO).
© Copyright Love Electric. All rights reserved.