Who will ‘go electric’? American homeowners' perceptions of home energy sources and home electrification

Abstract

In the context of the global climate crisis, the role the building sector plays in direct consumption of fossil fuels, especially natural gas, has come under increased scrutiny. Several major cities have initiated a phase out of natural gas hookups in homes and other buildings, requiring use of electric appliances. Additionally, with the passage of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, major incentives came available to help homeowners purchase and install electric appliances in their residences. Currently, over half of American homes use natural gas for heating or cooking, but research is needed to understand public opinion of household electrification. Here, we use 2021 survey data of American homeowners with electricity in the household (n = 4470) to analyze distribution of different energy sources currently used by homeowners, favorability toward gas versus electric appliances, and attitudes toward home electrification. We find that homeowners in the South, Midwest, and Intermountain West regions of the US are more likely than those in the New England area to already reside in electric-only homes, but we don't find the same geographic variation in support for home electrification. We also find that homeowners who are politically liberal, don't already use natural gas, have children at home, live in more urban areas, use rooftop solar, already use an induction stove or heat pump, and believe electricity is safer than natural gas are more supportive of electrification. These findings provide clues as to who is more and less likely to adopt electric household technologies.