An Introduction to Building Electrification and Efficiency

This training covers one part of CCL’s policy agenda, Building Electrification and Efficiency. It provides an overview of why this is an important policy area for addressing climate change and what types of policies CCL supports.

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Why Building Electrification and Efficiency is Important

By upgrading our homes and buildings to be electric and making them more energy efficient, we can save money and eliminate a major source of carbon pollution.

Today, nearly three-quarters of America’s buildings use fossil fuels to heat space or water or to cook food, creating 10% of our carbon pollution each year. By switching to electric appliances, we can significantly reduce or eliminate that pollution. We can reduce an additional 5% by increasing energy efficiency through insulation and weatherization.

Electrification will make us healthier by cleaning the air we breathe in our homes. Fossil fuel-burning appliances (such as gas stoves and heaters) create air pollution that contributes to serious respiratory problems like asthma, particularly in children. In many homes, the air we breathe inside is dirtier that the air outside.

Electrifying our buildings will reduce carbon pollution right away, almost everywhere. We don’t need to wait for 100% clean electricity to benefit. And, as our electricity gets cleaner, carbon pollution from electrified buildings will continue to fall.

How Can People Save Money Through Electrification and Efficiency?

Electrifying our homes or apartments can save money on energy bills. The average household can save around $600 on its yearly energy bills by installing heat pumps and induction stoves. Additionally, electrification protects us from future energy price spikes due to unstable fossil fuel prices. And Congress has recently taken action to make converting affordable, including:

$14,000 in rebates to homeowners for home weatherization and electrification. These rebates are enough to cover all or close to all of the full upfront cost of home upgrades for low-income households.
Rebates for landlords to make rental units more energy efficient and upgrade to electric appliances. Renters can educate their landlords on these programs. In some cases, renters may be able to update their rental units with electric appliances that they can take with them when they leave.
Grants for increasing the efficiency of affordable housing which will reduce utility bills for residents.

Homeowners and renters can also save money through energy efficiency upgrades. Up to 20% of the money spent on home energy by an average American is wasted from drafts, air leaks around openings, and outdated heating and cooling systems. Weatherizing homes reduces energy waste and bills. Low income households, which spend disproportionately more income on home energy, could save up to 35% on their energy bills through weatherization projects.

What Can Local Elected Officials do to Support Electrification and Efficiency?

Local governments have a key role to play in Building Electrification and Efficiency through things like local building codes, education and outreach programs, as well as grant funding.

Today, half of new homes are built with fossil fuel heating or appliances, locking in carbon pollution for decades. Local policy should ensure that new home construction is electric-ready.

It’s important that our local officials educate themselves about incentives that make electrification and efficiency more affordable for public buildings, including affordable housing.

There are also many benefits to communities, as building electrification and efficiency will create good paying careers for construction workers, plumbers, heating and cooling installers, electricians, and more. These jobs can be created in every community in America and can’t be sent overseas.

Local officials can join Rewiring America’s Mayors & Municipal Leaders for Electrification coalition and pledge to support electrification in their communities, and in turn gain guidance and support from the coalition.

Types of Policy CCL Supports

CCL supports federal policies that:

Speed up the pace of building electrification
Make it affordable for low and middle income homes to become more efficient or electrified

How We Will Engage

We will advocate for fair and equitable building electrification and efficiency policies locally and in Congress.

Locally, we will educate the public on the importance of efficiency and electrification and what they can do to upgrade their homes and buildings. We will also work to educate local elected officials on what they can do to support efficiency and electrification in their communities, including encouraging them to join Rewiring America’s Mayors & Municipal Leaders for Electrification.

An Introduction to Building Electrification and Efficiency