title: "Whole-Home Electrification in Colorado" summary: "A Denver family goes all-electric — heat pump, induction, HPWH — and eliminates their gas bill while improving comfort." storyType: electrification state: CO savingsMonthly: 110 systemSize: "All-electric conversion" date: "2026-02-20" tags:
- electrification
- colorado
- heat-pump
- induction
- whole-home
Why We Went All-Electric
When our 22-year-old gas furnace died during a January cold snap in Denver, we faced the classic moment: replace like-for-like or make a change. We'd been reading about whole-home electrification and decided this was the time. Rather than just the furnace, we planned to convert everything — heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying — over the course of 6 months.
Our goals:
- Lower total energy costs
- Eliminate the gas connection and monthly service charge ($17/month)
- Better indoor air quality (no more combustion)
- Position for future solar installation
The Conversion Plan
We staged the work to spread costs and minimize disruption:
Phase 1: HVAC (January)
| Component | Detail | |---|---| | Old system | 80% AFUE gas furnace + 14 SEER AC | | New system | Daikin Fit 3-ton heat pump (ducted) | | HSPF2 | 10.0 | | SEER2 | 17.0 | | Backup | 7.5 kW electric resistance strip | | Cost | $14,200 installed |
Phase 2: Water Heater (March)
| Component | Detail | |---|---| | Old system | 50-gal gas tank (0.62 UEF) | | New system | Rheem ProTerra 65-gal HPWH (3.55 UEF) | | Location | Basement (optimal — cool air exhaust is a non-issue) | | Cost | $2,800 installed |
Phase 3: Cooking (April)
| Component | Detail | |---|---| | Old system | Gas range/oven | | New system | GE Profile 30" induction range | | Electrical | New 50A circuit from panel to kitchen | | Cost | $2,300 (range) + $600 (electrical) |
Phase 4: Dryer (April)
| Component | Detail | |---|---| | Old system | Gas dryer (old, already had 240V outlet in laundry room) | | New system | LG heat pump dryer | | Electrical | Used existing 240V outlet | | Cost | $1,100 |
Total Conversion Costs
| Phase | Gross Cost | Incentive | Net Cost | |-------|:-:|:-:|:-:| | Heat pump HVAC | $14,200 | $3,250 (25C + Xcel) | $10,950 | | HPWH | $2,800 | $2,000 (25C) | $800 | | Induction range | $2,900 | $840 (30C) | $2,060 | | Heat pump dryer | $1,100 | $0 | $1,100 | | Panel upgrade (200A) | $2,400 | $600 (25C) | $1,800 | | Gas line capping/meter removal | $250 | $0 | $250 | | Total | $23,650 | $6,690 | $16,960 |
Compared to replacing like-for-like gas equipment (~$10,000–$12,000 for furnace + water heater + range + dryer), the incremental cost of going all-electric was about $5,000–$7,000 after incentives.
Energy Cost Results (First Full Year)
Before: Gas + Electric
| Category | Annual Cost | |---|:-:| | Gas heating (furnace) | $980 | | Gas water heating | $320 | | Gas cooking | $80 | | Gas dryer | $40 | | Gas service charge | $204 | | Electric (AC, lights, etc.) | $960 | | Total | $2,584 |
After: All-Electric
| Category | Annual Cost | |---|:-:| | Heat pump HVAC | $580 | | HPWH | $105 | | Induction cooking | $55 | | Heat pump dryer | $30 | | Other electric | $540 | | Gas charges | $0 | | Total | $1,310 |
Annual savings: $1,274 (~$110/month)
The savings are driven by:
- Heat pump COP of 2.5–3.5 vs. gas furnace efficiency of 0.80
- HPWH UEF of 3.55 vs. gas tank 0.62
- Elimination of gas service charge ($204/year)
Quality of Life Improvements
Induction Cooking
This was the surprise hit. We were skeptical gas devotees. After one week with induction:
- Boils water in half the time
- Instant temperature response (as responsive as gas, arguably better)
- Kitchen stays cooler (less waste heat)
- Easy to clean (flat surface)
- No NO₂ or PM2.5 from gas combustion
We would never go back.
Indoor Air Quality
We purchased a $200 Aranet4 CO₂/air quality monitor. Before the conversion, CO₂ levels would spike above 1,200 ppm while cooking on gas. Kitchen NO₂ levels exceeded WHO guidelines during extended cooking sessions. After induction: CO₂ stays below 800 ppm, and we no longer need to run the range hood exhaust fan while cooking.
Heat Pump Comfort
The variable-speed Daikin runs gently most of the time. No more blast-of-hot-air cycling from the furnace. The house maintains a much more even temperature.
Denver's Winter Performance
Denver gets cold (occasional -10°F overnight lows) but is also extremely sunny. Winter days of 45–55°F are common. The heat pump handles Denver's climate well:
- Below 10°F: backup strips assist for a few hours overnight
- 10°F–30°F: heat pump handles full load efficiently
- Above 30°F: heat pump operates at high COP (~3.5)
Total backup heat usage: ~120 hours across the winter season (~15% of heating hours, but only ~8% of heating energy due to shorter runtimes during milder cold).
Next Step: Solar
With our fully electric home, we now know our exact annual electricity consumption: ~13,500 kWh. A 9–10 kW solar system would cover nearly all of it. We're planning installation for next year, which would make our energy costs near-zero. The electrification makes solar's impact much larger because it covers everything — not just lights and AC.