As electricity generation relies more on renewable sources of energy and with the steady increase of electric vehicles on the roads in the United States, preparing for an electric future is just smart. As part of your ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade, make sure your home is wired and ready for additional electric appliances or an EV charger. Our Home Upgrade Service Provider Partners can help guide you through what is right for your home.

Why Should I Make My Home Electric Ready?

The future of home energy and transportation is electric, so even if you don’t plan on getting electric appliances, equipment or an EV right away, there are things you can do now to make your home electric ready. Electric ready means getting the wiring in your house ready for the new demands that come from electric heat pumps, water heating, cooking and EV chargers.

Ensuring you have the necessary wiring at your house will help you prepare for the change to cleaner, healthier, cheaper energy and make replacing old appliances quicker and easier.

The extent of the electric upgrades your home might need vary depending on your circumstances.

Most newer homes are outfitted with a 200A breaker box, which is sufficient to accommodate the addition of new electric appliances.

If your home is already outfitted with central AC, you should not need an electrical upgrade to switch to a heat pump.

The chargers that come with a new electric vehicle purchase operate off a standard 120V socket and are generally capable of providing up to about 60 miles worth of charge overnight.

Source: https://www.energystar.gov/products/energy_star_home_upgrade/make_your_home_electric_ready