Rebates coming to help switch from gas to electric in homes

· HeraldNet

Thanks for publishing the recent commentary regarding the health effects of gas stoves in the home (“Gas stoves harm health, as does industry’s coverup,” The Herald, Nov. 22)

As the author highlights, the health effects of “natural” gas in homes have been known for years. I am one of many who were taken in by the fossil fuel industry’s greenwashing when I purchased my home 10 years ago, I looked only at homes with gas heat and stoves.

Once I learned the facts, I replaced my 16-year-old gas furnace with a heat pump (which also cools in the summer) and my decades-old gas stove with an electric induction range. But it was expensive and figuring out how to do it was challenging! Now, help is on the way.

For those of you wanting to switch to healthy, safe and efficient electric appliances, the federal Inflation Reduction Act funding has started to roll out to the states. Here in Washington, tax credits are currently available, and the Washington state Department of Commerce is working on how to distribute the robust rebates, expected mid-2024.

Here is a link to Rewiring America’s IRA calculator (www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator), so you can see how much you could save. RA has excellent guides (www.rewiringamerica.org/IRAguide) which can help you plan and stage electrifying your entire home; or just your kitchen. If you start planning now, you’ll be ready to go when the rebates are released.

Nancy Johnson

Edmonds

Talk to us