At a recent Sustainable Warwick meeting, we had a lively discussion about all-electric houses. The arc of history seems to be bending toward all-electric homes, so I want to share some thoughts on this topic to encourage a better understanding of the opportunities.
Healthier. Most of us have lived our whole lives in homes where a fuel is burned for things like heating the home or water, cooking, and drying clothes. The most common fuels are wood, propane, natural gas, and fuel oil. Because of this we are habituated to varying levels of carbon monoxide and other air pollutants in our homes, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and nitrogen oxides. All-electric homes are free of these indoor air pollutants and healthier for residents.
Safer. All-electric homes are less susceptible to tragic fires because they have no huge sources of highly combustible fuel. This makes the homes safer for both residents and firefighters.
Cost Effective. Building a new home that is all electric may be less expensive than building a traditionally heated home, because a single heat pump system can replace both a heating system and a central air conditioning system. When solar panels are included on the new home, they would increase the initial price, but the panels would pay for themselves over time by providing cheaper electricity year after year. Foresight in laying out the home can optimize southern exposure to minimize the number of panels needed and improve visual aesthetics. There are also state and federal incentives and programs to assist with these energy saving measures. (Note that an all-electric home with a properly sized solar array would have a monthly electric bill in the range of $40 to $50 and no other utility bills. Sweet!)
Do all-electric homes sound futuristic? Earlier this year, the New York State Legislature passed and Governor Hochul signed the All-Electric Buildings Law (assembly.ny.gov/all-electric-buildings). Among other things this law provides that residential homes under seven stories tall built after January 1, 2026, will be required to have all-electric heating systems and appliances. This law does not require existing homes to be retrofitted or for renovations to older homes to follow the same rules. It also doesn’t require builders to rethink their home designs to optimize southern exposure, but hopefully they will quickly catch on to these enhancements for all-electric homes.
The main impetus for passing this law was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a politically contentious goal which we believe is important while acknowledging others believe this should not be such a high priority. Setting aside the goal of reducing emissions, everyone should appreciate the co-benefits of electric homes in terms of health, safety, and cost.
Sustainable Warwick is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting sustainability and resilience in the Warwick Valley. I have no financial ties to any business that may benefit from the adoption of all-electric housing, and to my knowledge neither do any of the other participants in Sustainable Warwick. If you have questions or opinions to share on the topic of all-electric houses, please email us (cleanenergy@sustainablewarwick.org) or join one of our monthly meetings.
Michael Helme, Member
Sustainable Warwick Steering Committee