Electrifying Stories: The Coopers Shut Off Their Gas Line For Good
- michelleleahy
- Mar 3
- 3 min read
By Ruth Cooper
Last week the gas company came and shut off our gas line for good.
When we first began to consider how to reduce our household's carbon output in 2018 we thought, "Well, it couldn't be that much! We don't drive a lot, and we're careful around the house--how bad could it be?"
Then I calculated our approximate CO2 output using a carbon footprint calculator and it said that if everyone on the planet used as much as we did, we'd need 2.5 worlds to support us all! That's where our journey started.
Ever do a carbon footprint calculator? They are great for getting a sense of where you are currently, and what action steps you can take to make the most difference. I did some research on calculators, and by far my favorite was the one from the United States EPA--yes, you heard it right--our very own Environmental Protection Agency has a handy dandy carbon footprint calculator that is easy to use and full of great information! (PS: the link is still working as of this writing.)
It's now been seven years since that first step. We did one or two things each year. First we insulated our attic and walls with blown-in insulation. (A good time to do this is before you have your exterior walls painted, since they have to drill little holes in the stucco to blow the insulation in.) The next year we changed all our light bulbs to LED's, and bought an electric lawn mower. At that point our electric bill was so low, it didn't make financial sense to install solar panels yet. We replaced our Mazda with a Chevy Bolt the next year. When our AC bit the dust during a heat wave, we had a heat pump installed and removed the furnace from our attic. It was a relief to know that we didn't have a fire source up there anymore.
At this point it now made financial sense to get rooftop solar, since we were heating and cooling our house with electricity, and powering one of our cars. Using local contractor Wayne Pendrey, it was much more affordable than we expected.
The following year we looked at the age of our gas water heater, and since it was 13 years old and showing signs of inefficiency, we had an electric heat pump water heater installed by our plumber.
In 2024 we took advantage of the end-of-year sales and replaced our ancient Toyota Corolla with a Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV. This year we gave away our gas stove and purchased an induction range. I'm really into cooking, and I love the convection oven feature and the way the stovetop doesn't heat up the kitchen!
Throughout the process we did not trash any appliance that was still in good shape--we either waited until the gas-using item had reached the end of its useful life, or we gave away or sold the gas-using item, so that materials were not wasted. (We still have our gas dryer, but since we shut off the gas, we just use it to fluff the laundry before we hang everything out to dry.)
Our electric bill now averages 30 dollars a month, and that includes powering two cars, as well as comfortably heating and cooling our 1400 square foot home.
It feels good to have done our part -- now we can concentrate on helping others with the lessons we've learned along the way.
One big take-away that we want to share is to consider doing all the electrical work at once, even if you aren't ready to replace everything yet. It's a LOT cheaper to have an electrician run all the lines and put in the necessary outlets all at once. Also, that way you are ready to put in a high-efficiency electric appliance if your gas one suddenly stops functioning. And low-interest loans are available for electrification. You can learn more about them here.
