There’s a lot of buzz going around about home electrification. It’s being billed as a way to “rewire America” and switch to clean, renewable energy, the goal being to reduce carbon emissions and natural gas usage, protect the planet and stem the tide when it comes to climate change.
Which is all well and good, but it does lead to a couple of obvious questions: (1) Is it real? (2) If it is, just how will it work?
The answers to those questions aren’t simple, but at 128 Plumbing, we have them. Our name may not include electrical services, but we’ve been providing them for Massachusetts residences for years, and we’ve electrified thousands of homes as part of our services.
We’re the ideal company to answer any questions you may have, so let’s dive in and see how improvements like heat pumps, a new hot water heater and an electric vehicle can help you when it comes to home electrification.
What Areas of Your Home Should be Included in Electrification?
Before you start the planning process for home electrification, it’s important to have a picture of what your home will look like when you’re done. There are multiple areas where change is coming, so let’s break them down and cover how we can handle them for you.
Electrical Service
We’re all familiar with the electrical lines coming into your home, and on the surface their role won’t change when you choose to electrify your home.
Rooftop Solar Power and Home Electrification
But they may for some people. More and more people are purchasing or leasing solar panels as a way to either augment or shift their existing electrical demands, and it’s important to integrate these panels into your existing electrical system.
Also, it’s just as important to know how the solar panel part of home electrification works. You may be able to sell some of the electricity accumulated by your solar panels back onto the grid, and the saving potential of doing this is significant.
Electric Vehicles and Charging Services
Now let’s envision your garage. If you choose to go green by buying electrical vehicles, you’re going to need an EV charger installed to make your daily use more convenient.
There are several choices when it comes to how you do this and where you install the chargers, so it’s a good idea to have a 128 electrician come in and make recommendations.
Heat Pump Water Heaters and Home Heating and Cooling
If you do choose to electrify your home, the heat pumps you have installed is basically the key to your system. It will heat and cool the air in your house, and it will also power the boiler that heats your water.
Appliances and Electricity for Cooking and Drying
If you’re used to cooking over an open flame, change is coming. Today’s electrical stoves are sophisticated appliances that typically work by using convection, and they’ll save you a lot of money in the process.
Similarly, if you’ve been using a gas dryer to dry your clothes, electrification will save you money when you switch over to an electric dryer.
Planning for Electrification
Once you’ve got a clear picture of what your home will look like once it’s electrified, it’s time to start planning. There are several steps you’ll need to take and things you need to take into account, so let’s review.
o Evaluate your existing machines and appliances. One of the most important steps in the planning process is to take stock of your existing systems and appliances.
Start with your existing furnace and boiler. Fueling them is probably one of your biggest home expenses, so you need to do a careful analysis of where they are in their lifespan.
Are they more than ten years old? If so, you’re probably an excellent candidate for home electrification, because the money you’re spending on oil and gas will be eliminated, and while you will have to absorb the initial cost, the money you pay to electrify your home will pay off exponentially down the line.
If they’re younger, that means you have more time to make a transition, and it’s important to balance your needs for the present against possible future savings and the convenience and peace of mind that comes with knowing your home systems are up to date.
Cost Analysis for Services
Estimating your energy costs is one of the most crucial parts of electrification. To do it, start with a complete breakdown of your current energy bills for the last couple of years.
They’ve probably been going up, and you need to figure out how much of that is due to the age and condition of your current HVAC systems, appliances and so on.
Once you’ve done that, the next step is to estimate the cost of home electrification. This is an area where 128 Plumbing can definitely help you.
We can come in and evaluate your existing systems, show you what changes and improvements you need to make, and tell you what the bottom line costs will be.
We can also help you project what your energy bills will be after you electrify your home. These will be estimates, of course, but they’ll give you a timeline when it comes to how long it will take to recoup your up front costs.
o Air quality and emissions analysis. One of the main reasons to do home electrification is to reduce emissions and improve the air quality in your home.
We can help you with this part of the transition by providing information about the efficiency of your new heat pump, the energy rating of your new appliances and so on.
Making an Electrification Checklist
As you go through the planning process, it’s important to make a checklist that covers your basic needs.
This can be broken down into different areas as follows:
o Purchasing renewable energy. Are you going solar? What kind of plans does your local utility offer?
o Electrical service. Do you need to upgrade to a 200 amp panel? Does your existing panel need more slots, or do you need splitters to share circuits? How about new outlets
o Space heating and cooling. Efficiency upgrades include things like, heat pump units, mini-split heat pumps, ducted central heat pump, ground source heat pump
o Hot water.
o Electrical cooking
o Home battery storage
Call 128 Plumbing for Home Electrification
Home electrification is a great way to save money, and they also give you the peace of mind to know that your home is getting the best possible protection.
The numbers are (888) 419-4233 or (781) 670-3261, and when you contact us, we’ll answer your questions and help you make the best possible decision.
To get more information, you can also go to 128Plumbing.com and start a live chat, and we have some great blogs and articles there to help educate you about home electrification and how it can benefit you.
