Back to Search.jpg)
You may have heard the term “home electrification” before. But what does it mean?
Simply put, home electrification means using electricity instead of fossil fuels, such as natural gas, propane or oil, to power or heat things in your home. This can include your heating system, water heater, stove and even outdoor equipment like lawnmowers or snowblowers.
You don’t have to replace everything at once. In fact, one of the easiest ways to start is to think about what you’ll need to replace down the road, in years to come. When your furnace, water heater, stove or outdoor equipment reaches the end of its life, you can consider an electric option when the time comes.
Heating and powering homes can be a major source of household emissions, especially when a home uses natural gas, propane, or oil for space and water heating. The building sector is a leading sector of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, ranking third after transportation and the oil/gas industry (Natural Resources Canada).
Nearly everyone can do something to electrify at home, whether an owner or a renter, and even with tight budget constraints.
Planning for electrification before an appliance needs replacing and saving up for a future replacement are excellent strategies, especially when plans and accomplishments are shared with others.
Modern electric heat pumps and other equipment are usually more energy efficient than their fossil-fueled predecessorsand, in turn, can help tosave money. Improved health and safety are further benefits of electric equipment, since no gases are being burnt in the home. By electrifying homes, greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on the environment are lessened.
It’s a win-win-win of cost savings, improved health effects and lowered environmental impacts.
Top 4 home items to electrify
1. Heating System
Switching to a heat pump or adding one to supplement the current heating setup can make a big impact.
A heat pump works as both a heating and cooling source, which means no additional air conditioner is needed. Heat pumps transfer heat between the outdoors and indoors, rather than generating it, making them three to five times more energy-efficient than conventional heating systems, including even high-efficiency gas furnaces and other electric heating systems.
2. Water Heaters
Like switching to a home heating system for a heat pump, switching to a heat-pump water heater rather than a natural gas or propane one can save money and reduce emissions.
A heat pump water heater moves heat from outside to heat the water rather than creating heat energy from a fossil fuel source to heat the water. Other options include electric or tankless on-demand water heaters that use electricity rather than fossil fuels to heat water and do so more efficiently.
3. Stove
If there is a natural gas or propane stove in the home, switching to an electric or induction stove can not only save money but also improve the air quality in the home by not having gas fumes present.
Induction cooktops are faster and more efficient, and are easy to clean as well.
4. Outdoor Equipment
From lawnmowers to trimmers and snowblowers, there are electric versions now available for all these outdoor items.
Many of them have batteries and don’t need to be plugged in. They are also quieter than their gas counterparts and don’t produce any harmful fumes during their use.
Batteries from equipment from the same company are usually interchangeable and storage is safer as there are no flammable liquids involved.
Funding your upgrades
Although it can be expensive to make these changes, thankfully there are several funding sources available to support some of these upgrades:
Home Renovation Savings Program
Homeowners can apply for the Home Renovation Savings Program. Eligible homeowners can receive rebates for energy efficiency upgrades such as heat pumps, insulation, air sealing, ENERGY STAR® appliances, solar panels and battery storage.
Better Homes Huntsville
For homeowners in Huntsville, there is the Better Homes Huntsville low-interest home loan program. The program can help homeowners plan and finance home energy efficiency improvements.
Learn more: https://betterhomeshuntsville.ca/
Energy Affordability Program
Eligible households can receive free energy-saving products and upgrades to help improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs. To view eligibility requirements, please visit the link below.
Want to see it in action?
Interested in learning more? Join the District of Muskoka and Climate Action Muskoka for a self-guided home tour September 26 to 27 from 10 a.m. -2 p.m.
See real examples of home upgrades such as heat pumps, solar and battery setups, electric home maintenance tools, induction stoves, EVs and EV chargers. Talk to the homeowners to see how these upgrades work in their homes. There will also be installers available at two homes for more technical questions.
There are nine homes participating in the tour across Muskoka this September.
District staff are also hosting a series of Home Electrification Workshops in local libraries across the District if you are interested in diving deeper into heat pumps and solar energy. Please see the dates and times below.
Bracebridge Library October 21 - 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Did you know? You can share this article on your social feeds by scrolling to the top of this page and clicking on the share icon located next to the printer on the right side of your screen.
View all Climate Corner Newsletters
Subscribe