Get on the Path to Home Electrification!

Welcome to the first D.C. Home Electrification Update from Chesapeake Climate Action Network. 

Twice a month, we’ll highlight one key step in the home electrification process — and any discounts available  — so you can save money and fight climate change. 

Many of the steps we highlight will be free for income qualified DC residents; check out the DC Sustainable Energy Utility program to find out more.

Step 1 (of 7): Make sure your home is weatherized

Are some rooms in your home colder or hotter than others? Is your house drafty, too dry, or prone to mold? A home energy audit and weatherization can help. The auditor should walk, crawl and climb all over your house before recommending ways for it to be more airtight.

If your home is newly insulated and has no moisture or temperature-related issues, you may be able to skip this step.

Once your home is weatherized, you’ll likely see your energy bills go down right away. Stay tuned for the next DC Home Electrification Update about how to make sure you electrify clean. And stay healthy, 

-Kate

Get Cleaner, Cheaper Power

Here’s the second Home Electrification Update from CCAN! Check out previous and future editions here. Each time, we’re highlighting one step in the home electrification process, and any discounts available.

Affordable Home Electrification 

FREE for renters or owners making less than 80% of D.C. average. Get more information from the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility.

Step 2 (of 7): Buy and produce clean energy

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Save

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, everyone can receive a 30 percent tax credit for installing rooftop solar or battery storage through federal 25D tax credits. Additionally, income-qualified consumers can get utility bill assistance from LIHEAP and PEPCO.  

Buy

DC Power Connect allows you to choose a supplier of 100 percent clean energy. Chesapeake Climate Action Network does not endorse any specific energy supplier. 

Produce 

DC Solar incentives make solar installation a winning bet for DC residents. Check out the below options: 

  • Solar for All from the DCSEU provides free solar power, for income-qualified residents.
  • Households purchasing solar in DC can benefit from DC specific incentives including payments for Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECS) and federal tax incentives. 
  • Community Solar gets you solar power without putting panels on your building, for those living in apartments or condos or without good access to the sun. 

For more help on finding the right company to help you go solar, check out this helpful guide to going solar in DC from the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors or this DC specific page from Energy Sage. 

Now that your electricity is running on clean, renewable energy, you can prepare for the next step—upgrades! 

PS: If you’d like to skip ahead, you can read our entire 7-Step DC Home Electrification Guide here.

Preparation Is Everything

Here’s the third Home Electrification Update from CCAN! If you missed our first editions, check it out here. We’re highlighting seven steps in the home electrification process, and any discounts available.

Affordable Home Electrification 

FREE for renters or owners making less than 80% of D.C. average. Get more information from the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility.

Step 3 (of 7): Plan how to upgrade your home

Electrification is about making your home more comfortable and resilient. Making a plan can ensure you replace items before they break and get all the rebates available.  

Write down which items in your home use methane gas and how old they are. Plan to replace the oldest items first. Replacing one big item a year can maximize tax rebates.

Most important before you electrify, however, is making sure your electrical panel can handle it. 

    • First, find out your panel size. The amperage should be written on the main breaker, the big switch on top of the electrical panel. If you have a panel that’s 200 Amps or more, you should be able to electrify with no issue. Otherwise, you’ll need to plan carefully or replace your panel. 
    • If you have electrical issues such as flickering lights or sparks coming from the breaker box, you need a “heavy up,” or electrical upgrade. 
  • Follow this guide if your panel is fine and you want to avoid an upgrade 

Once your panel is working well, you can start replacing things. If your plans include

  • replacing a gas stove with an electric induction cooktop or range,
  • replacing a gas furnace with an electric heat pump,
  • replacing a gas dryer with an electric dryer, or
  • installing an electric vehicle charger,

then consider having new 240 volt plugs installed for each of those. If you have an electrician at your home, talk to them about whether you will need any new 240V circuits or plugs. 

Once you have a plan, you’ve finished this step! Now you’re fully prepared for an electrical upgrade. Next time we’ll talk about how to maximize tax credits for those upgrades!

Plan tax credits for Electrical Work

Here’s the fourth Home Electrification Update from CCAN! Check out previous and future editions here. We’re highlighting seven steps in the home electrification process, and any discounts available.

Affordable Home Electrification 

FREE for renters or owners making less than 80% of D.C. average. Get more information from the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility.

Step 4 (of 7): Tie electrical upgrades to another upgrade to facilitate tax rebates

In Step 3, we planned for electrical upgrades, but to receive the federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credits (25C), you need to upgrade the panel in the same tax year as you make qualified energy efficiency upgrades or install a new device that the electrical panel will enable, such as solar panels, an electric heat pump water heater or an electric heat pump HVAC system.

 

Check out some info on these credits from IRS, Rewiring America, and Energy Star, then choose which electrical upgrade and appliance combo works for you. 

 

Next, contact an electrician to upgrade your panel and/or wiring and install the 240 volt plug for the device. Work with an HVAC professional to install the heat pump or heat pump water heater in the same tax year!

 

At tax time, claim both credits at once with File Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits Part II, and then enjoy your tax refund. 

Next week, we’ll talk about selecting the best heat pump. Stay tuned!