Transcript:

An initiative in North Carolina and Georgia is helping people lower their utility bills and climate impact.

Let’s Go Electric’s Emily Hurd says many homeowners start with an energy audit to find ways to increase their home’s efficiency – for example, by adding insulation.

Hurd: “We all have to deal with rising utility rates. One way to make that better is to make your home more energy efficient.”

Then the program helps people plan how to switch from gas to electric appliances over time.

Electric appliances can use clean energy if it’s available. And energy-efficient models are often cheaper to run than gas versions.

But they can cost more up front. So the Let’s Go Electric website includes a calculator to help people determine their return on investment.

For example, to replace a furnace with a heat pump …

Hurd: “We can compare the costs of their current energy use to the cost of buying an efficient heat pump system up front, minus any incentives that apply. And then it also shows bill savings over time.”

So people can see how climate action pays off.

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media