Going Electric: 3 Benefits for Your Home

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Family of three standing outside house

You have options when it comes to fueling your home. Electricity, however, provides a number of advantages that can benefit you, your family and the planet.

1. Lower energy bills

Fuel-burning appliances and equipment lose energy during combustion, which makes them less efficient. By contrast, electric devices are 100% efficient, meaning all the power used goes right into heating your food or lighting your home. Some electric equipment — such as heat pump technology — is even more than 100% efficient. Depending on the application, this can result in utility cost savings.

2. Improved indoor air quality

Gas appliances can create indoor air pollutants by burning fossil fuels in a closed environment. Pollutants such as carbon monoxide can cause illness or death if they build up to dangerous levels. You can improve your health and safety by switching to electric appliances and equipment.

3. Cleaner environment

Electric appliances and equipment produce no on-site emissions, reducing your environmental footprint. Although generating electricity does produce greenhouse gas emissions, the growing presence of low- to no-carbon energy sources, — such as solar, wind and efficient natural gas — on the grid is helping to create a cleaner environment for everyone.

How to go electric

Electricity already powers your lights, TV and air conditioning systems. With these advanced technologies, you can make the switch to electricity for space heating, water heating and cooking.

  • Heat pumps can provide year-round comfort. Because they move heat rather than create it, they can condition your space at efficiencies of 150% to 300%. Duquesne Light offers rebates on electric heating and cooling equipment. Check out more here.

  • Heat pump water heaters also move heat to create high-efficiency hot water. How efficient? The efficiency of a water heater is measured by the Unified Energy Factor (UEF). A heat pump unit has a UEF of 2.7, compared to 0.7 for a high-efficiency gas water heater. Duquesne Light offers rebates on electric water heating equipment. Check out more here.

  • Induction cooking heats only the pots and pans on the stovetop, resulting in increased energy efficiency, faster cooking times, better temperature control and improved safety.

Electric-powered outdoor tools — such as lawnmowers, trimmers and leaf blowers — run quieter than fuel-burning models and produce no on-site emissions. With advances in battery technology, cordless options are convenient and easy to use.

Check out Electrification as a Strategy for Decarbonization to learn more about the opportunities and benefits of electrification.

So, what are you waiting for? Start making the switch today and you can realize all the powerful benefits that electricity has to offer.