Home Electrification for Renters

No matter if you’re renting or have a mortgage, no one wants higher monthly utility bills. Using less fossil fuels by electrifying your home and using as much clean electricity as possible, can save you money and be a beneficial environmental choice. 

You may not be able to install a new heat pump or solar panels as a renter, but there are many ways to use electric alternatives to shift from fossil fuels and move toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.

What is Home Electrification?

Home electrification is the process of eliminating every use of fossil fuels in your home and replacing them with electric options. Besides the environmental benefits, in many cases it can save you money. For renters, it requires implementing upgrades where you can, since some things about your rental are out of your control. Ideally, the electricity you use would be clean, renewable, and inexpensive such as from home solar panels. Over time, electrification can lead to lower utility bills (gas and electric combined).

Electrifying Your Rental

As a renter, you may not have control over putting solar panels on the property or a total renovation of the home, condo, or apartment. There are plenty of steps you can take to use electricity, and use it with the best efficiency possible, so you’ll still save.

Electric vehicle

Nearly anywhere you live, charging an electric vehicle from the grid has a lower carbon footprint than driving a gas car. If you live somewhere with readily available public charging, an electric vehicle could be an easy fit. If a level 1 EV charger can meet your charging needs, it can be inexpensive to keep your car charged.

Cooking

There are a lot of ways, from big to small, to electrify your kitchen. One major electrification move can be upgrading your stove. Easier, smaller changes can include using a portable induction cooktop, electric kettles, toaster ovens, or pressure cookers which let you shift kitchen tasks from a gas stove or oven.

Hot water

As a renter, you might not be able to make a switch to an electric tankless water heater or other electric option. Easier moves can reduce your fossil fuel use, such as doing laundry in cold water when possible, running the dishwasher with full loads, or hand-washing dishes when you have only a few things to wash, fixing leaky faucets, and using a low-flow showerhead.

Heating and cooling

Again, you probably can’t make the call on installing a new HVAC system, but you can reduce the amount of gas it takes to heat your home. You may be able to improve the sealing around doors and windows with weatherstripping, sweeps, and window coverings to control sun and shade. You may be able to put in and utilize a smart thermostat. If you have ceiling fans or space heaters to run your heating and cooling less often.

LED lights

LED light bulbs save energy and money with much higher efficiency compared to other, older bulbs. They last 25-50 times longer than incandescent bulbs. LEDs convert up to 90% of electricity into light. This efficiency translates directly into lower electricity bills for you.

Using solar and battery power

You may not be able to install solar panels, a large solar battery, or a full backup system as a renter. However, you may be able to use devices like a solar generator or a portable power station, using solar power or grid electricity, to have backup power and use stored power in convenient and less-expensive ways. You can also find out if your area has a community solar plan you can join.

Benefits of Home Electrification

What are the general benefits of home electrification? There are many

Cost: Home electrification can save people money in the short and long term. For instance, replacing a gas furnace and air conditioner with an electric heat pump for home heating and cooling can reduce or even eliminate a home’s gas bill. In the long run, energy-efficient heat pumps, water heaters, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, stove/ranges, electric vehicles, and home energy monitors, supported by smart plugs, smart thermostats, and other energy efficiency devices can decrease a gas bill by more than it will increase an electric bill.

Health: Using more electricity and less gas or fossil fuels removes harmful pollutants from indoor air. Emissions from fuel include nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. The state of Colorado now requires gas stoves come with health warning labels.

Pairing with solar panels: Home electrification paired with home solar panels can cut utility bills and deliver greater long-term savings. It’s also the most independent way to power a home and minimize its carbon footprint. 

Resilience: Battery power can provide energy resilience through utility power outages. Battery power in an outage is also safer, cleaner, and cheaper than using a gas generator.

Climate: Electrification, especially paired with solar, can reduce a home’s carbon footprint. This helps in the fight against climate change. Better yet, solar energy is fully renewable, emission-free, and virtually infinite. 

You Can Save With the Palmetto App

Even if going all the way to home solar panels and full home electrification isn’t possible for the time being, Palmetto has ways for you to save money, use less energy, and have the energy you use be cleaner. You can track savings, see more energy-saving products, and get new ideas to reduce your energy bill on the Palmetto App. You can also check our home energy advisor or our energy storage advisor to get estimates specific to your address and learn more. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can renters save energy?

Renters can save money and energy by using heating and cooling more efficiently through a programmable or smart thermostat. They can also use less energy in the kitchen, install LED light bulbs, and improve sealing or weatherstripping around doors and windows. Bigger ideas include using portable solar batteries and getting an electric vehicle.

Can renters electrify their homes?

Renters may well be limited in the big changes they can make to a property. You can still take plenty of steps toward electrification and use energy more efficiently all the way around.