Electric Vehicles and Home Charging

Home electrification refers to the process of replacing traditional fossil fuel-based systems, such as gas-powered furnaces or stoves, with electric alternatives. This can include replacing gas appliances with electric ones, installing electric heating and cooling systems, or using renewable energy sources such as solar panels to power the home. The goal of home electrification is to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are major contributors to climate change. It can also provide cost savings and increased efficiency for homeowners, as many electric systems are more efficient and require less maintenance than their fossil fuel counterparts.

Electrifying your home provides myriad benefits, such as: 

Increase Comfort: Electrification and weatherization upgrades ensure more consistent temperature control and comfort in every room.

Save Money: On average, homeowners save about $1,000 -2,600 each year on energy bills with by moving to electric technologies.²

Cleaner Planet: An electric home emits substantially less carbon than a mixed-fuel home up to 93% less over 15 years, depending on where you live.¹

Add Home Value: Electrifying can increase your home’s value by an average of 4-7% for heat pump HVAC systems and 4% for rooftop solar systems.^3,4

Increase Safety: Removing fossil fuels from your home improves air quality and reduces the likelihood of fires and gas leaks - making your home safer for you and your family.

Improve Health: A 2013 meta-analysis of over 40 studies found that children living in homes with gas stoves had a 42 percent higher risk of experiencing asthmatic symptoms.⁵

Electric homes are the future, and we’re here to help you get started. To learn more, check out our article, “Top 5 Reasons to Go Electric”.

The best time to electrify your home depends on your individual circumstances and goals. If you are building a new home or undergoing major renovations, then incorporating electric systems from the beginning can be a good option, as it can save you the cost and hassle of replacing gas-powered systems later on. If you are planning to replace existing gas appliances, then considering electric alternatives at the time of replacement can be a good way to transition to an electrified home.

In general, it’s most likely a good idea to electrify your home if you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels, save money on energy costs, and improve the resale value of your home. However, it's important to consider the costs and feasibility of electrification in your specific situation, and to do thorough research before making any decisions. Our Electrification Roadmap Tool is a good place to start!

Every home has a unique path to full electrification. We start by helping you identify which electrification upgrades you should make, when, based on your home’s specifications and your personal goals. From there, we provide a personalized electrification roadmap with a comprehensive timeline to upgrade your home. For example, we may recommend starting with a heat pump today and an electric vehicle charger next year. To learn more, check out our article, “Electrify Your Home in 5 Simple Steps”.

Home comfort is exactly what you think - how cozy your home feels! This is inclusive of various factors such as temperature, even heating and cooling, humidity, noise, and air quality. Home comfort is an important consideration when building or renovating a home, as it significantly impacts daily life - especially in the age of remote work. At Elephant Energy, we take home comfort very seriously - each of our system designs takes your home’s unique comfort needs into account.

Building science is the field of study that uses technology, science, construction, and design to make buildings more comfortable and durable. Elephant Energy’s team uses building science for every unique home to properly size equipment, which has a massive impact on price and comfort. We use best-in-class building science to understand the true heating and cooling loads of a property to ensure we can BOTH keep homes cool in the summer and cozy in the winter AND minimize your total cost of ownership.

A heat pump is a type of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that uses a small amount of energy to move heat from one location to another. In the summer, heat pumps cool your home by extracting cool air from outside and drawing it inside. In the winter, they do the opposite. Since heat pumps provide heating AND cooling, they are a versatile and efficient option that can replace your furnace and air conditioner. 

Pretty cool, but how do they work? Heat pumps use refrigerant to absorb heat/cold from the air or ground outside and transfer it inside, where it is released to cool/warm the building. Heat pumps are about three times more energy-efficient than traditional HVAC systems because they use electricity to transfer existing heat from the outside air, rather than burning fossil fuels to generate it.

Yes! We have installed many heat pumps in the Colorado Front Range and New England, and they function extremely well in these bitter winter climates. They’ve also been proven effective in other very cold climate locations (for example, Alaska)⁶. However, there are many people who still think that heat pumps don’t work in this climate because up until a few years ago, heat pump technology was not robust enough for harsh winter weather conditions. Technology improvements have now rendered this belief a myth.

At Elephant Energy, we are extremely thoughtful when we approach heat pump system design and sizing for cold climates, so our homeowners can feel confident that their heat pumps will keep them cozy on the coldest of days. 

For additional context, heat pumps work by transferring heat from one place to another, rather than generating heat like a furnace does. In the winter, this means transferring heat from the outside air into your house to warm it. Even when it feels cold to us, there is still enough heat in the air (according to the Kelvin temperature scale!) to warm your home. Science is awesome :) 

For very large or leaky homes, we may advise that it’s in your home’s best interests to install a supplemental electric heat kit. This is a backup heating system that will always be available to provide additional heat during the coldest weather. In the rare case that the heat pump system is unable to provide sufficient heat on its own during extreme cold, the heat kit is activated and will be able to provide your home with heat at any temperature. 

A heat pump water heater is a type of water heater that uses a heat pump to heat water, rather than using electricity or gas. Heat pump water heaters work by using a refrigerant to absorb heat from the air or ground outside and transfer it to the water inside the tank. This allows the heat pump to provide hot water more efficiently than traditional water heaters, as it uses a small amount of electricity to move heat rather than generating it directly. Heat pump water heaters are often more energy-efficient than traditional water heaters and can save homeowners money on their energy bills. They are also considered to be more environmentally friendly, as they emit fewer greenhouse gasses than gas-powered water heaters. To learn more, check out our guide on what is a heat pump water heater.

An induction stove is a type of electric cooking appliance that uses electromagnetic induction to generate heat. Induction stoves work by using an electromagnetic field to transfer heat directly to the cooking vessel, such as a pan or pot, rather than heating the stovetop itself. This makes them more efficient and responsive than traditional gas or electric stoves, as the heat is generated directly in the cookware and can be easily adjusted. Induction stoves are also safer than gas stoves, as there is no open flame or risk of gas leaks. They are often preferred by professional chefs and home cooks who want precise temperature control and quick heat-up times. To learn more, check out our Ultimate Guide on induction stoves.

Home electrification can potentially have a positive impact on a home's value, as it can make the home more efficient, sustainable, and desirable to potential buyers. Electric systems, such as heat pumps and electric appliances, are often more efficient and require less maintenance than their gas counterparts. Additionally, the trend towards electrification and renewable energy is growing, and homes with electric systems may be seen as more modern and forward-thinking. One study showed that residences with an air source heat pump enjoy between a 4-7% (or $10,000-$17,000) price premium on average.³

While our utilities pride themselves on providing power during all types of weather, it’s a fact of life that sometimes the power does go out. For better or worse, a heat pump is just like a gas-powered furnace or boiler. All require electricity to operate (this surprises many homeowners, but your furnace and boiler also require electricity to provide heat!). If you live in an area that is prone to frequent power outages, going “off the grid” with solar and battery storage might be a compelling option for you. And soon, you may also be able to power your home via your EV!