Pledge to Electrify!
(Keep Reading, Renters and Condo Dwellers)
Sounds hard, expensive and scary, right? Well, as dirty natural gas becomes more and more expensive, moving to electrify your home will save you money in the long run—and our first step will actually save you money immediately!
Switch to Community Solar
Instead of paying ComEd for dirty electricity, you can support a solar farm and get a discount (5 - 10%) on your monthly electric bill. CUB (Citizens Utility Board) walks you through the process and has vetted suppliers for you to compare. Anyone with an electric bill can do this, and switching is free.
Invest in Solar Panels (Property owners only)
Check out CUB’s solar panel page or enter your address into Sunroof to get a rough estimate of how much money you’ll save annually by generating your own electricity, plus information on costs and financing options.
Upgrade to Electric Appliances
As your current gas appliances fail, replace them with electric options (cooktops, clothes dryers). Kind of a no-brainer! (Renters, petition your landlords!)
Check out this handy guide from Rewiring America.
Install Heat Pump & Electric Water heaters (Property owners only)
A more involved and expensive change, but the most impactful for the environment. Additionally, you will recoup the initial cost and save money over time. It’s all about the long game here!
Purchase an EV
In the market for a new vehicle? While utilizing public transportation is the best option, check out the Department of Energy’s website to compare EVs to each other and to gas cars.
Recently, Climate Reality Chicago hosted local climate experts who have crunched the numbers to share their journey to electrification. Watch the presentation.
For more ideas to reduce your energy consumption and save $$, revisit our WNWN on Energy Awareness from Oct 2022.