Bringing Infrastructure Home

A 50-State Report on U.S. Home Electrification

June 2021

The home is the keystone of our national infrastructure. Public investment in electrifying our 120 million American households can reap significant benefits for every U.S. resident, in terms of climate, household savings, and job creation, as well as the health benefits of improving indoor and outdoor air quality.

In our report Bringing Infrastructure Home: A 50-State Report on U.S. Home Electrification, we break down these benefits at the national and state level, giving all U.S. residents the arguments they need to advocate for its inclusion in our federal infrastructure investment.

Findings

Lower bills
Almost all households get cheaper energy bills

At least 85% of households in the United States — 103 million — could save $37.3 billion a year on energy bills if they were using modern, electrified furnaces and water heaters instead of their current machines.

Map of the US showing that most households in counties across the nation would save on their energy bills with modern, electric appliances. In shades of purple, shows each county savings from 0 to 100%, with 100% represented by the darker purple.
Large savings
Most households would save an average of $496 per year

The savings are biggest for the 64.9 million households in the United States across every county who are currently using electric resistance, fuel oil, or propane and would save $496 per year on average.

Table showing the large savings households currently using electric resistance, fuel oil, and propane would gain from electrification. Replacing 33.38M electric resistance furnaces, 5.69M fuel oil furnaces, and 5.75M propane furnaces would result in average savings of $300 per year, $407 per year, and $447 per year, respectively. Similarly, replacing 54.16M electric resistance water heaters, 3.4M fuel oil water heaters, and 4.31M propane water heaters would result in average savings of $282 per year, $174 per year, and $303 per year, respectively.
Everyone benefits
Meaningful savings for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households

Of the households that save, 44% are low- and moderate income. Each year, they would save an average of $377. Many would save up to $493 per year on average.

Reduce emissions
It’s essential to reaching zero emissions

Furnaces, water heaters, dryers, and stoves account for at least 95% of residential building emissions but are replaced just once every 10-25 years. Unless we choose modern, electrified replacements for these machines, we will continue to need dirty infrastructure to power our homes, never getting to zero emissions.

Graph illustrating how national residential emissions would change over time as a result of building a clean grid without residential electrification versus building a clean grid with residential electrification. The graph shows that just a clean grid would cut residential emissions about in half, but stall out there, while a clean grid with residential electrification would reduce residential emissions to zero by 2050.
Create jobs
Millions of new jobs will be created

Electrification would create 462,430 installation jobs in the United States. In addition, it would further generate 80,000 manufacturing jobs and 800,000 indirect and induced jobs.

Chart showing the types of jobs that electrification could create: installation jobs (including electricians, plumbers, and contractors), manufacturing jobs (including factory, assembly line, and supply chain workers), indirect jobs (including truck drivers, welders, mine engineers, and accountants), and induced jobs (including service, retail, food & beverage workers, teachers, and more).
Improve health
Cleaner indoor and outdoor air

Electrifying these appliances would address the 42% increased risk of children experiencing asthma symptoms associated with gas stove use. Such indoor pollution disproportionately affects low-income households with smaller homes. Furthermore, outdoor air pollution from residential buildings currently accounts for 15,500 premature deaths in the United States per year.

Chart listing the indoor pollutants emitted by gas stoves: Nitrogen Dioxide, Particulate Matter (2.5 microns), Carbon Monoxide, and Formaldehyde.

Media Coverage

  • New York Times
    New York Times

    Sen. Martin Heinrich

    Jun 8, 2021

    Guest Essay: Your Next Car and Clothes Dryer Could Help Save Our Planet

    "Our future depends on our acting now to confront the climate crisis by enacting policies to convert our economy from fossil fuels to clean energy. By making this switch, we will also create millions of new jobs, save American households money on their energy bills and protect lives by improving the air we breathe in our homes and workplaces."

  • HuffPost
    HuffPost

    Alexander C. Kaufman

    Poll: Most People Don’t Realize Their Homes Spew Carbon, but They Love the Fixes

    "The findings, from a national poll taken between July 7-9, could buoy support for the new legislation Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is set to introduce Thursday that would add rebates for new energy-efficient or zero-carbon appliances and heating systems into the federal spending legislation lawmakers are currently negotiating."

  • Politico
    Politico

    Matthew Choi

    House Democrats' United Front

    "Rewiring America, a nonprofit focused on electrification, conducted research for Heinrich’s team and released its own report Wednesday on home electrification. The report finds that 86 percent of American homes would save money by installing all-electric equipment, and the manufacturing and distribution of the appliances could create over a million jobs."

Press Releases