Electrify Your Home

Why choose electric over gas?

Electrification, or choosing electric-powered options over gas-powered, has many health and environmental benefits. Your home could also become up to five times more efficient by choosing electric appliances, allowing you to save energy during peak periods, which can result in bill savings.

Energy from fossil fuels like natural gas creates greenhouse gases that cause pollution, affect our health, and harm the environment. We can shrink our carbon footprint by switching to electric equivalents where possible, but shrink it even more so if we choose renewable sources of electricity. California is committed to a climate goal of being 95% carbon-free by 2040. MCE is already there, 18 years ahead! By choosing our service, you’re helping the electric grid become cleaner.

Electrifying your home offers these advantages:

Cleaner Energy

We provide you with clean and renewable sources of energy for your electricity. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that contributes to pollution.

Safer Homes

Protect your loved ones by preventing potential gas leaks and avoid inhaling harmful pollutants.

Healthier Communities

Electric appliances reduce the need to fire up polluting fossil-fuel plants. Help the people who live near these plants breathe easier.

Steps to Electrification

MCE can help you electrify your home. Check with us before you make big purchases, like renovating, buying, or building a new home or purchasing a car or appliance. We offer rebates, incentives, and educational tools to help you maximize your savings.

What to do first

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Assess the situation.

Have an energy professional conduct a personal, detailed analysis of your home and its energy assets. BayREN can work up your Home Energy Score, and you’ll know more about your home with estimated energy consumption and customized recommendations. BayREN provides a $200 rebate for this process.

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Conduct a home health checkup.

Make your home as energy efficient and clean/healthy as possible. Ask your contractor to seal any air leaks in your home and clean up mold and pests prior to sealing the home and going all-electric.

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Older homes need love.

Check your home’s age. If it was built before 1979, it may first need major upgrades to the electrical panel and wiring to meet your electrical needs.

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Which to switch?

Determine which of your home appliances could be switched to electric. Major equipment such as clothes dryers, water and space heating and cooling, and kitchen appliances all have electric equivalents.
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Do your homework.

Local, state, and federal rebates and incentives can lower the cost of upgrades. Use our incentive finder tool and rack up significant savings.
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Make a bundle.

Think about making your appliance upgrade with other technologies. For example, can you pair your home appliances with EV charging equipment, solar panel installation, or solar battery storage? You may save money by doing it now.
electrify your home

Solar & Battery Storage

Smart Thermostat

Heat Pump Heating & Cooling

Heat Pump Electric Dryers

Induction Cooking

Heat Pump Water Heaters

Heat Pump Heating and Cooling

A heat pump is one of the most energy-efficient tools to control temperature in your home, providing the same comfort but with better air quality and humidity. In winter, the heat pump moves heat into your home and maintains humidity. In summer, the heat pump moves heat outside to keep you cool and comfortable.

Benefits of heat pump heating and cooling

Practical considerations

How easy is installation?

Pro

Need a professional to install

How long does it take?

4 hours

4 hours on average when installed by a professional

How much does it cost?

$15,000

to $20,000 depending on the home, before rebates & incentives

“I wanted to stop using natural gas and carbon fuels — it’s very bad and I don’t want to pollute the planet more. So I got a heat pump mini split for air conditioning. I look forward to reducing my energy bill in the hot summers!”

Teresa, Pittsburg

Rebates & incentives

Use our Rebate & Incentive Finder to find out how much you might save toward your new heat pump.

Heat Pump or Ventless Electric Clothes Dryers

Heat pump dryers use less energy and work as a closed-loop system, heating the air to remove moisture from clothes and reusing it once the moisture has evaporated. Instead of pushing air outside through a dryer vent, the air goes through a heat pump. This process is more energy efficient and economical.

Benefits of a heat pump clothes dryer

How easy is installation?

Easy

How Long Does It Take?

1 hour

on average installation

How Much Does It Cost?

$600

up to $2,000

Rebates & incentives

Use our Residential Rebates & Incentives Finder to find out how much you might save toward your new heat pump electric clothes dryer. 

Resources

Energy Star Heat Pump Dryer — Tips and information
Energy Star Certified Residential Clothes Dryer — Compare options and find which dryer is best for you

Heat Pump Water Heaters

Water heaters are one of the major users of natural gas. Heat pump water heaters are three times more efficient than gas water heaters and eliminate the risk of dangerous carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide leaks. In addition, heat pump water heaters allow you to preheat water when power is cheaper and store the hot water for use when costs are higher.

Benefits of a heat pump water heater

Practical considerations

“An HVAC company tested the air quality in our house and every time our old gas water heater turned on, the pollutants spiked in our house. We replaced it with a wifi-enabled heat pump water heater that we program to shut off when energy rates go up, and it’s amazing! We love it!”

Rebecca, El Cerrito

How easy is installation?

Easy

How long does it take?

3-4 hours

when installed by a professional

How much does it cost?

$1,500

before tax incentives and rebates

Rebates & incentives

Use our Rebate & Incentive Finder to find out how much you might save toward your new heat pump water heater.

Resources

Download BayREN’s Heat Pump Water Heaters: Smart Guide for Residents for tips and frequently asked questions about switching Switch Is On’s Home Home Electrification Assistant is an online tool to help you choose a model based on your address and current water heater fuel type Only zero-nitrogen oxide (NOx) furnaces will be sold or installed in the Bay Area starting in 2029. See the Air District advisory

Induction Cooking Appliances

Induction ranges and cooktops make your home safer, provide more heat control, and are easy to clean. Magnetic technology lowers your risk of burns and reaches the desired temperature more quickly than gas stoves. Induction significantly reduces air pollutants emitted from cooking.

If your budget allows, consider buying and installing an all-electric induction kitchen range.

Benefits of induction cooking appliances

Practical considerations

  • Any cookware that a magnet sticks to can be used with induction stoves. This includes many popular materials such as stainless steel, blue carbon steel, cast iron, enamel, or ceramic-coated iron. Your cookware may already be compatible.
  • Are you a renter or not ready to go all in? Start with an inexpensive portable tabletop model or test-drive an induction cooktop loaner for free.
  • An induction appliance may be expensive initially, but rebates and energy efficiency save money over time.
  • Electromagnetic fields from induction may interfere with people with pacemakers. If you have a pacemaker, consult operating manuals and your doctor before purchasing.
  • Installation may require rewiring, depending on your home’s electrical system and the appliance’s energy requirements.

How easy is installation?

Easy

How much does it cost?

$600

Rebates & incentives

Use our Residential Rebates & Incentives Finder to find out how much you might save toward your new induction cooking appliance.
Induction Electric Coil + Glass Natural Gas
Uses magnetism to heat your metal cookware directly
Transfers heat directly from hot coils to your cookware
Transfers heat indirectly to your cookware by burning gas (mostly methane)
Efficiency: 85–90%
Efficiency: 70%
Efficiency: 40%
Air byproducts: smoke from cooking ingredients
Air by products: heat, smoke from cooking ingredients
Air byproducts: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, heat, smoke from cooking ingredients

Induction

Electric Coil + Glass

Natural Gas

Uses magnetism to heat your metal cookware directly

Transfers heat directly from hot coils to your cookware

Transfers heat indirectly to your cookware by burning gas (mostly methane)

Efficiency: 85–90%

Efficiency: 70%

Efficiency: 40%

Air byproducts: smoke from cooking ingredients

Air by products: heat, smoke from cooking ingredients

Air byproducts: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, heat, smoke from cooking ingredients

Smart Thermostats

Make your life easier by maximizing your energy savings with a smart thermostat. Over time, a smart thermostat adjusts your heating and cooling automatically to minimize your energy usage without sacrificing your comfort. Smart thermostats are easy to install, program, and use.

Benefits of a smart thermostat

Rebates & incentives

Use our Rebate & Incentive Finder to find out how much you might save toward your new smart thermostat.

Resources

Solar and Storage

Join California’s clean energy movement and increase your home’s power resiliency by installing solar panels paired with home battery storage. If you produce more electricity than you need, the excess power can qualify for a credit to your electricity bill.

Benefits of solar power and battery storage

Practical considerations

  • Significant tax credits are available for equipment, installation, or upgrades. Save even more by pairing solar power with storage!
  • Battery storage backup is especially useful for keeping important appliances running during outages or for homes that depend on continuous power for medical equipment
  • Rebates and incentives can help offset the cost of getting the model that best suits your energy needs

How easy is installation?

Easy

to install; can be DIY

How long does it take?

1-2 hours

on average

How much does it cost?

$80

to $250, before rebates

Rebates & incentives

Use our Residential Rebates & Incentives Finder to find out how much you might save toward your new heat pump electric clothes dryer

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many benefits to upgrading older equipment, and you don’t need to wait for your appliances to break before switching to electric. Most large appliances last for about 10 years; if one of yours is older, consider upgrading to electric now to save energy and money. If you decide to switch now, you will improve your home’s indoor air quality. Research shows that homes with gas stoves have nitrogen dioxide concentrations that are 50% to over 400% higher, and children in homes with gas stoves are 42% more likely to suffer asthma symptoms than in homes with electric stoves.

Switching now means you can also get started enjoying the long-term benefits of cost savings and extra reliability. More efficient, electric-powered models are now affordable and eco friendly. California and many other states have ambitious climate and decarbonization goals and are working toward phasing out gas appliances to help reach these goals.

Read more about how your local community may already have policies in place for building codes in the Sierra Club’s California’s Cities Lead the Way on Pollution-Free Homes and Buildings.

Rebates and incentives can make switching more affordable! Today’s modern electric appliances are more efficient than natural gas appliances, so they use less energy and cost less to operate. While sticker prices can be higher for some appliances, you can take advantage of rebates, incentives, tax credits, and energy savings that help make all-electric models the most cost-effective option. 

Learn about the current federal tax credits and upcoming state rebates from the Inflation Reduction Act

Our contractor and retailer network can help you make decisions within your budget. Or see if you’re eligible to participate in a home energy assessment to receive free energy upgrades.

You may not be able to make electrical improvements to a home that you don’t own, but if your appliances are old, consider asking your landlord or property manager about updating to electric options. Be sure to mention issues like cost savings from rebates and incentives, indoor air quality and health benefits, and climate impact. If changing to an electric option is not possible, consider these energy-efficient electric appliances as smaller alternatives to gas stoves.

More Resources on Going All Electric

Request to Reserve MCE Emergency Water Heater Incentive

Contractors, please fill in all required fields below. Information must be submitted for each project for which you are requesting to reserve funds. Make sure the heat pump water heater you and your client choose to install is on the TECH Clean California-approved list.

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Complete the form below to express interest in our EV Instant Rebate or for any questions related to EVs or EV incentives. You’ll hear back from our partners at Energy Solutions within 2 business days.

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