It’s home improvement month — the perfect time of year to give your sales pitches an upgrade! Here are a few ways to polish your pitch and help more of your customers upgrade to an all-electric home.
Home electrification is a growing trend in the sustainable home improvement market; currently, one in four U.S. homes is all-electric. From home automation and EV chargers to solar, battery storage and electric heating and cooling systems, homeowners are looking for ways to cut costs and make their homes cleaner.
Savvy contractors know they need to get ahead of this trend and learn how to offer whole-home electrical solutions. It’s a great opportunity for contractors to bundle sustainable home improvements — like adding a high-efficiency electric HVAC system with a solar system and battery installation. This approach can help contractors increase their margins by closing bigger jobs, and help homeowners make their homes more comfortable, resilient and valuable.
Electric HVAC systems may save homeowners money long-term
- While there can sometimes be a higher upfront cost, energy-efficient systems may save homeowners money down the line — especially when bundled with solar energy systems.
- According to a National Survey by Rewiring America and Data for Progress, more than 80 percent of voters say decreases in their monthly energy costs would have a “Very” or “Somewhat” significant impact on their household budgets.
- In energy savings modeled in the household savings report, homes that adopt clean, electrified technologies can save $1,000-$2,500 annually.
- Heat pumps can achieve energy efficiencies of 300% under ideal conditions. By comparison, the best a fossil fuel-operated furnace can get is 80-99% efficiency.
Electric systems can make the home more resilient
- Integrated, electric home features could help customers future-proof their homes against power outages, natural disasters, etc.
- With erratic weather patterns on the rise, solar energy storage, in particular, allows homeowners to equip themselves with a longer-lasting energy supply in case of service disruptions.
- Electric upgrades work together to make houses more efficient and resilient. Heat pumps run on electricity and solar panels help create power to fuel it, while solar battery storage systems store that energy for later use. Installing an EV charging station can be another way to bundle projects and close bigger deals. It’s up to contractors to explain these connected benefits to their customers.
Switching to electric can lower air pollution
- According to the EPA, on average, Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.
- Indoor pollutants are known to cause or trigger many health conditions.
- As more and more consumers try to reduce their indoor pollution, homeowners can look to electric systems to improve their quality of life. Electric does not emit many of the pollutants of older, fossil-fueled systems.
Cooking with electric stoves is just as good as gas — and induction stoves may be even better
- Electric stoves get a bad rap, but there are many perks to owning one. Outside of less air pollution and potentially less expensive energy, electric stovetops maintain their temperature better than gas stoves and are less flammable.
- Induction is a new style of stovetop that uses electromagnetic waves to heat cookware. With induction stoves, the system is highly efficient, allowing for precise control and rapid rise or drop in temperature. It boils water 50 percent faster compared to its gas and electric counterparts.
Electric energy systems are the cleaner option
- According to a 2020 Rewiring America report, decisions we control in our households are responsible for 42% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
- By choosing electric systems, homeowners are investing not only in their homes but in the planet too.
More and more households are looking for electric-based alternatives. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, “The share of all-electric homes has risen in each census region over the past decade, particularly in the Midwest and the South.” Knowing how to pitch the benefits of electrification and bundle multiple projects can help contractors close bigger jobs and grow their business.