Founder | BPI® Energy Auditor Certified Professional

A current trend for many homeowners in the United States is converting your home to a fully electric one. According to a survey, more than 25% of homeowners now use fully electric options to power their homes.

Electric homes are generally cheaper and safer for the environment, but how exactly do you switch to a fully-electric home?

You will need to switch out all gas appliances in your house when going electric. The most common things that need to be replaced include your gas stove, water heater, fireplace, and heating systems.

This article will explain all you need to know about converting your home into an electric-functioning home. We will discuss each appliance, the conversion process, cost implications, and benefits.

So, keep reading to learn all about switching to an all-electric home!

Table of Contents

How To Convert Your House to an All-Electric Home

The initial cost of switching your gas home into an all-electric one may be high, but it will pay off in the long run. In an analysis by Rocky Mountain Institute, going fully electric may save you thousands of dollars in energy bills.

Changing to an all-electric home is not easy, but it’s also not impossible. You just need to follow the right processes.

Here are the five steps to follow when switching your house into an all-electric home, including:

Do proper research
Consider your appliances
Consider important factors
Contact an expert
Set a time limit

Let’s closely examine each of these steps to convert your abode into an all-electric home.

Do Proper Research

Changing your home to an all-electric one is not a decision you should make impulsively. You need to understand why you are changing it and the steps to take. Hence, proper research is vital.

You are already taking an excellent research step by reading this guide. However, you can go even further by reading other people’s experiences on crowd platforms like quora, Reddit, and Facebook groups.

One Facebook group we’ve found to be extremely helpful is the My Efficient Electric Home Group. Although the group was created for the Australian community, many Americans are in it. Every group member is actively sharing their experiences for anyone to learn.

Consider Your Appliances

You may have gas appliances that need to be switched, from the kitchen to the living room and every part of the home.

An appliance package pictured together up against the wall of a home, including a washer, dryer, and fridge

It is essential to consider the appliances you are changing and the challenges you will face. For example, some devices may be easy to change because they have fewer pipes and ducts, while others may be hard.

When choosing what to transition to all-electric home appliances, the kitchen may be a common mistake. We quickly assume that our gas ovens, cooktops, and other kitchen items use a lot of gas because we cook daily.

However, kitchen appliances use less than 3% of your home’s energy. Therefore, these appliances are not among the top devices you should change when switching to an all-electric home.

We prefer to do the challenging appliance changes before the easy ones, making the home electrification process easier.

Consider Important Factors

Different factors will influence the change of your appliances to an all-electric home system. You must consider these variables before you make a move.

Some of the factors to account for include:

Government Regulations

Different countries, states, and even counties have regulatory bodies for building homes and homeowners. The organizations with such influence in the US include the American Institute of Architects, the International Code Council, and the US Department of Energy, amongst others.

Most, if not all, of these bodies attest to the need for a more efficient energy source than regular gas. For instance, in an Executive Summary, the International Code Council released a new electricity-use process, promoting decarbonization.

Before moving ahead with your all-electric home project, you should always check what the local codes say regarding electrification.

Budget and Cost

Building a home run by gas appliances is usually expensive. Apart from the devices, you will need to install pipes, ducts, and other systems.

Similarly, switching a gas home to electric will cost you some overhead and labor costs. Therefore, it is best to have a budget for your entire home electrification project.

Contact an Expert

You must contact at least one expert when switching your appliances to all-electric. However, contacting two separate experts may be an even better idea as you’ll get a second opinion.

You can also reach out to a professional with knowledge of gas and energy connections and a second professional specializing in electrical connections.

A homeowner installs an electric radiant floor – a type of electric heater – in his home

These veterans have the practical knowledge and experience to advise you based on your plan. They can also help give great ideas as the best starting point for your all-electric home.

Set a Time Limit

One mistake we want you to avoid is rushing when converting to an all-electric home.

You may have read about the negative impact of gas appliances on you and the environment. However, it would be best if you took your time to plan appropriately, even when you have the money readily available.

A good approach we’ll suggest is giving yourself what’s called the three-times strategy. This process splits your timeline into three equal parts based on your budget, which will help spread out the costs and give you time to account for unforeseen expenses.

This strategy lowers the pressure of changing to an all-electric home in one go, giving you ample room for flexibility.

What Appliances Can You Convert to Electric?

Most gas appliances within the home use gas to generate heat energy. Since electricity can also conduct the same heat, there is no gas appliance that you can’t replace.

Some gas appliances you can change include:

Gas ranges
Gas dryers
Gas fireplaces and furnaces
Gas heating systems
Gas grills

Let’s examine each of these items in detail.

Gas Ranges

The comparison between gas and electric ranges is a hotly-debated topic. However, according to Consumer Reports, electric ranges usually fare better in such comparisons.

The health impact of using a gas stove or oven can be surprising. According to a study, when you cook with a gas range, you risk exposure to CO and NO2. According to the report, these two gases can increase cases of asthma and other airborne diseases.

The best switch from such gas stoves is using an electric induction stove.

Closeup of a cook adjusting the setting on the interface of an induction cooker

Induction cooking relies on electromagnetic forces to generate heat to cook your meals. These cooking stoves usually have a glass material on the top and an electromagnetic field beneath. As a result, they have better efficiency than even regular electric stoves.

Gas Dryer

Gas dryers may be fast, but they pose a significant danger. These dryers release carbon monoxide, a gas that can affect your lungs and brain. This gas release is why most gas dryers have a vent installed outside.

Some electric dryers also have vents, but you can choose ventless models. Your drying process will be much easier with an electric dryer because it is easy to use and operate.

Gas Fireplace and Furnace

Fireplaces and furnaces are two heat production systems with the same purpose but different working procedures.

In a report, the Environmental Protection Agency affirmed that most people spend 80% of their time in their homes. Therefore, using a fireplace or furnace powered by gas in the house is like harming yourself on purpose.

To change your gas fireplace or furnace to electric, you will require a gas engineer to disconnect all gas connections first.

Gas Heating Systems

Instead of using a gas fireplace, furnace, or other gas heating systems in your home, you can switch to an electric system. Electric heating systems are more efficient, making them much cheaper.

Most people refer to these electric heat pumps as reverse-cycle air conditioners because of their working process. It uses air from outside the home and transfers it hot or cold into the house, depending on what you need.

You can also change your gas water heater system to an electric one for maximum benefits. A study shows that you can save up to 30% in total costs by using an electric water heater instead of gas.

A tankless water heater installed on a wall

Gas Grills

Most Americans enjoy having a nice barbecue outside during the summer. However, you may want to switch to an electric grill instead of mainly using a gas grill.

You can move these grills wherever you want, as long as an electricity source is available. Electric grills also have better heat generation, so all parts of the food will cook evenly.

Benefits of An All-Electric Home

After reading this article, you will already have an idea of the various benefits of switching to an all-electric home.

Some of the advantages of an all-electric home include:

Better health due to less exposure to harmful gases
Lower energy costs
Electrical appliances are easier to use and maintain
Safer environment

Conclusion

We all have a collective goal of reducing the number of harmful gases spread globally. An excellent way to start is by reducing how much gas you release into the home.

You can convert all gas appliances into electrical ones, making your house a healthier and more environmentally-friendly space for you and your family. Just be sure to research and contact a professional before you start your all-electric home conversion process.

All-Electric Homes: What Appliances Do You Switch Out?