California dreaming: Tour a stunning electric bungalow
Rewiring America’s Senior Director of Research Cora Wyent shows us around the house that electrification built.
The perfectly squared-away, electrified home where Cora Wyent and her wife and baby live in Los Angeles, California is a goal-worthy example of electrification done right.
As in: look how well that sleek and easy-to-clean induction stove aligns with her countertops! Check out that enviably tidy garage (with EV charger)! #electricgoals
“Our strategy has really been to electrify things when they die, when we are at that point of making a choice about how we want to replace it. I think that it is a really great thing to do.”
— Cora Wyent
At Rewiring America we want to encourage Americans to not feel pressured to throw out all of their appliances and get new electric ones. Ain’t nobody got time (or budget) for that.
Instead, do what Cora does and electrify appliances when they break: when it dies, electrify! Just be sure and do the research and legwork ahead of time so when that day comes and your gas stove finally keels over, you won’t panic, but will have an array of good induction options in mind that fit your home (and budget).
For Cora there were an array of reasons to electrify. See some of the ways she has reaped the benefits (and you can too):
Making health a priority: Cora and her wife have a new baby and want their indoor air to be clean and healthy for growing lungs. Read more about the health benefits of electrification here.
Saving some green: Her family saved about $1,700 a year by driving an EV and breaking away from paying at the pump. They have saved $250 a year by switching from a gas furnace and air conditioner to a heat pump.
Getting an update to accelerate: To run her new electric dryer Cora had to upgrade her electrical to 220 volt. Find out before you buy a new electric appliance if an electrical update needs to happen first.
Faking it till you break it: Cora and fam still have a gas water heater but they will swap it out for an electric one when it breaks.
Doubling up: A new heat pump is more effective when you add insulation for even more cost savings.
Being a good neighbor: Electric lawn equipment is quieter (your neighbors will thank you) and doesn’t release horrible-smelling, toxic gasoline fumes for you and your neighbors to breathe in.
Cora works at an electrification organization, so she has tons of insider information about the benefits of replacing gas appliances with electric ones. But you can go to rewiringamerica.org to do your own “Cliff Notes” deep dive into the benefits of electrification. We hope This Electric House tour will help you consider going electric, too — to help your family breathe better, save money, and do the planet a solid.
Want to learn more about the connection between electrification and health? Read Rewiring America's health report here and check out another This Electric House tour of Rewiring America advisor Dr. Gaurab Basu’s electrified Boston home.
Rewiring America’s This Electric House showcases electric homes free of fossil fuels and powered by safer, cleaner, better-for-the-planet appliances. Have you electrified all or part of your house? Tell us about it and we may even do a house tour featuring you!