Electrify your home with our handy roundup before tax credits expire

Want to claim thousands of dollars in federal tax credits for electrification upgrades that slash emissions, reduce air pollution, and enhance the comfort of your home? You have just over a month left to get them installed.

In July, Republicans in Congress voted to end two key home-energy tax credits: the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C), worth up to $2,000 for updates like an über-efficient heat pump; and the Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D), which takes 30% of the cost of rooftop solar and other clean-energy installations off your federal tax bill. To qualify for the credits, projects have to be done by Dec. 31.

Ditching our fossil-fuel equipment for electric options is an opportunity to land a punch in the climate fight. More than 40% of U.S. energy-related emissions stem from how we heat, cool, and power our homes and fuel our cars, according to the nonprofit Rewiring America. Not to mention, clean alternatives are often cheaper to run than dirty-energy versions.

Still, electrifying our lives can be hard. All-electric home upgrades are often big, complex infrastructure projects. Upfront costs can be steep.

But appliances, like cars, come in a wide range of models with different features and a diversity of price points.

It’s worth spending some time to think through the options — after all, doing so could save you tens of thousands of dollars by avoiding an unnecessary electrical-service upgrade or an overpowered heat pump. But to lock in the federal discounts, you’ll need to get up to speed quickly.

That’s where Canary Media can help. I’ve pulled the most relevant stories from the archives to get you prepped on your home retrofit. Dive in anywhere you like.

Why electrify?

• Fossil-fuel appliances are harming your health
• Gas stoves increase cancer risk, especially for kids, new study finds
• Electrifying home heating slashes carbon emissions
• All-electric homes are simply more comfortable

Prep Work

• Consider a home energy audit
• If you've got 100 amps, you may be able to avoid a $20,000 upgrade
• Check the electric heart of your home
• Weatherize your home first

How to Electrify Your Home

• Heat pump systems are basically air conditioners that also deliver heat — and they come in different flavors  
• Heat pumps work better than gas furnaces in most cold climates  
• Ask these 10 questions before you get a heat pump
• The most efficient heat pumps pull warmth from the ground instead of the ambient air  
• Determine whether a heat pump makes financial sense for you; it does for most  
• When it comes to heat pumps, bigger is not always better  
• Renters, you too can get a heat pump — a micro one, at least  

Get a Heat-Pump Water Heater

• Heat-pump water heaters can save you hundreds of dollars a year  
• Some heat-pump water heaters even plug into a standard 120-volt outlet

Electrify Your Cooking

• Smooth-top electric-resistance ranges are cheaper, but induction stoves with batteries are a chef’s delight  
• Your next BBQ could feature an electric grill  

Get a Heat-Pump Clother Dryer

• Heat-pump clothes dryers are way more efficient than conventional systems — and ventless  

Get a Charger for Your EV

• How to pick the best electric-vehicle charger for you  

Electrify Your Landscape Maintenance

• Electric lawn mowers are cutting down the gas-fueled competition  
• You could hire an all-electric landscaper  

Bank Energy With Home Batteries

• How to decide whether pairing a battery with your rooftop solar is worth it  
• Ask these 7 questions to figure out what kind of home battery you need  
• Plug-and-play home batteries can provide power in a pinch  

Need Inspiration?

• She’s a clean-energy pro. Electrifying her home was still a slog  
• This Canary Media editor got a heat pump — a process with some hiccups  
• For one Minnesotan, a new heat pump brings comfort and savings  
• An EV owner shares how he gets the most out of his vehicle even in winter  

Coaching & Tools

• If you need help breaking up with fossil fuels, talk to an “electric coach” who’s been there  
• Nonprofit RMI’s calculator crunches the costs and savings of home clean-energy upgrades  
• Rewiring America’s personalized tool gives you a home-electrification roadmap  
• The U.S. government’s (very) comprehensive Energy Savings Hub includes DIY projects and guidance on how to claim federal tax credits  

The Shortcut

• Startup Zero Homes is a one-stop electrification shop  
• Startup Jetson says it installs heat pumps at a fraction of competitors’ prices  

Here’s a last piece of advice to help you fast-track electrification projects so that you can get those federal tax credits. Journalist Justin Gerdes, who writes the wonderfully researched newsletter Quitting Carbon, says this is his No. 1 pointer for anyone planning an all-electric home retrofit:

“Search for a specialist electrification contractor you can trust.”

To make that process easier, Rewiring America and the BetterHVAC Alliance launched the National Quality Contractor Network in September. The associated directory is full of certified installers who know and love heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters, insulation, EV chargers, and more.

Gerdes’ advice is golden in a world with or without federal tax breaks. The U.S. government continues to fund state-run home energy rebates for lower-income households. And you can still find a bonanza of state, local, and utility incentives to break up with fossil fuels.

It’s also still early in the adoption curve for many of these electrified technologies. As they become more commonplace, we could see prices drop.

So while now is a great time to invest in electric appliances and reap the benefits of a clean-energy dream home, 2026 — and the years to come — will be too.

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