Home Energy and Climate

Residential buildings account for about 13% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The average American home produces roughly 7.5 metric tons of CO₂ from energy use alone. The good news: home energy is one of the most actionable areas to reduce emissions.

Biggest Opportunities

  • Switch to renewable electricity: Sign up for a green power plan or install solar
  • Electrify heating: Replace a gas furnace with a heat pump
  • Electrify water heating: Heat pump water heater cuts emissions 70%
  • Improve insulation: Reduce heating/cooling demand

Why Electrification Is the Long-Term Strategy

The most impactful long-term strategy for reducing home carbon emissions is electrification — replacing gas appliances with electric equivalents powered by an increasingly clean grid. This approach works because the U.S. electricity grid is getting cleaner every year as coal plants retire and wind and solar capacity grows. An electric heat pump installed today will produce fewer emissions in 10 years than it does now, without any additional action on your part.

In contrast, a gas furnace will always burn fossil fuels at the point of use, regardless of grid improvements. The lock-in effect of fossil fuel appliances means that what you install today shapes 15–20 years of emissions. Prioritizing electrification when appliances need replacement is one of the most durable climate decisions a homeowner can make.

Priority Electrification Upgrades by CO₂ Impact

  • Heat pump (space heating): Replacing a gas furnace with an air-source heat pump typically reduces home heating emissions by 40–70%, depending on your grid mix.
  • Heat pump water heater: Cuts water heating emissions by 60–70% versus a gas water heater. Water heating is typically 15–20% of a home's total energy emissions.
  • Induction cooktop: Eliminates combustion from cooking entirely and also reduces indoor air pollution linked to gas stoves.
  • Heat pump clothes dryer: Uses 50% less electricity than a conventional electric dryer, and eliminates gas combustion if replacing a gas model.

Solar Panels and Your Home's Emissions

Installing solar panels can eliminate most or all of your electricity-related emissions. A typical 6kW system generates 7,000–9,000 kWh per year — enough to offset 60–100% of the average home's electricity use. The lifecycle emissions of solar panels are roughly 20–50 grams of CO₂ per kWh, compared to 386 grams for the average U.S. grid — an 88% reduction per kWh generated.

Combined with electrification, solar creates a pathway to near-zero home carbon emissions. Use our Solar Panel Savings Calculator to estimate your potential savings.

The Role of Insulation

Even with electrification and solar, a leaky or poorly insulated home uses more energy than it needs to. The DOE estimates that air sealing and insulation improvements can reduce heating and cooling energy use by 15–30% in a typical home. The Inflation Reduction Act provides a 30% tax credit (up to $1,200 per year) for insulation and air sealing improvements.