Today’s electric technologies can meet nearly all our home and business energy needs – and often do so at a competitive cost and with a fraction of the pollution caused by fossil fuel combustion.
Space heating: Electric heat pumps, which pull heat from the air, ground, or from bodies of water and move it around a building, have improved dramatically in recent years. Geothermal heat pumps function well in all climates, and air-source heat pumps can now function efficiently down to -15°F. Air-source and geothermal heat pumps are several times more efficient than gas and oil heating systems and can meet both heating and cooling needs in homes and commercial buildings.
Water heating: Electric resistance, heat pump and solar thermal water heaters can all heat water without the direct use of fossil fuels. New technological developments are making electric technologies more efficient and cost-effective. Water heat pumps are often two to three times as efficient as electric resistance water heaters.
Appliances: Highly efficient electric appliances can replace fossil-fuel powered versions and are often more effective. For example, electric induction cooktops, at about the cost of a mid-tier gas range, cook faster and are cleaner, more precise and safer.