By Katie Davis
If you are wondering how we power our lives if we phase out oil and gas, consider the good news about electricity.
We’re making progress across our region by moving to 100% renewable energy. A quarter of cars sold in California are now electric and gas consumption is on the decline as a result. Having driven electric cars for over a decade now, I can attest that they are less expensive to fuel and maintain. Find out about rebates and incentives at: https://driveclean.ca.gov/
More recently, I’ve been electrifying my house as well. When I needed a new stove, I chose an induction cooktop. Cooking on a gas stove produces indoor pollution that increases the risk of childhood asthma by 40%. Induction is easy to control, simple to clean, and smoke-free. I love it. I also got an electric insert for my fireplace. Instead of burning wood, I just push a button to create heat and faux flames. It’s cute and inexpensive (around $100).
But the biggest use of gas in homes is for heating. I’ve moved to electric water heating, and I’ve also installed a heat pump for heating and cooling our upstairs rooms. One day soon I hope to turn off our gas connection entirely. Look for tax incentives and rebates for electrifying your home.
California is committed to helping homeowners and renters reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and transportation.
Get started by upgrading your home water heating, space conditioning, cooking appliances, and electrical vehicle (EV) charging equipment. Find benefits of electrification, tips on avoiding panel upgrades, rebates and loans. Here’s a link: https://tinyurl.com/CAenergyInfo
Gas stoves and other gas appliances create nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide as byproducts of gas combustion, which are harmful to human health when not properly vented. They also create GHGs, which harm the health of our planet.
The American Medical Association and American Lung Association have recognized nitrogen dioxide as a significant health risk, especially for childhood asthma. Using a vent hood that vents to the outside during cooking can reduce residents’ exposure. To eliminate the most additional indoor pollution from cooking, use an electric cooktop and oven instead of a gas-burning cooktop and oven.
Environmental Benefits: Using less energy or using electricity generated with renewable energy resources instead of burning natural gas to power your home or business, reduces the amount of GHGs and other air pollutants emitted.
Cleaner cars mean cleaner air and better health. Electric and hybrid vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions when operating in all-electric mode. This helps reduce smog pollution and cut GHG emissions where you live and work. More information here: https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity-benefits
Bill Savings
Most utilities have times of day where electricity use is at its highest and use during these times is more expensive. Locally, the most expensive electricity is from 4-9pm.
By shifting when you use electricity for certain tasks (running your dishwasher and doing laundry, charging a car), you can help reduce the demand during its peak and receive utility lower bills.
Customers can also see bill savings by taking advantage of load flexibility, also called demand flexibility, the practice of adjusting energy use to match supply. Details here: https://tinyurl.com/LoadFlexibility
Electricity customers with smart devices, such as thermostats that respond to signals from the grid, can be programmed to automatically shift energy use to times when electricity is cleaner and cheaper, and use less energy when the grid is under stress or supplied by polluting power plants.