Jean Gay-Robinson cried when ComEd showed up to her Chicago home and replaced every gas appliance with electric versions. No cost to her. As a retiree on a fixed income, the math was simple: lower energy bills, safer home, and she'll likely never buy another appliance.
"I don't have to worry about gas blowing up or carbon monoxide," she said.
Gay-Robinson is one of over 700 households in Illinois who have had their homes electrified for free under a 2021 state law that lets utilities meet energy-conservation requirements by outfitting low-income homes with electric appliances. It's an unusual policy because it actually increases electricity consumption — but cuts fossil fuel use overall, which is the whole point.
How it works
Electric heat pumps, induction stoves, and electric dryers are far more efficient than their gas counterparts. Even in places where the grid still runs partly on coal or gas, switching to electric appliances cuts emissions because electric motors convert energy so much more efficiently. And as renewable energy grows on the grid, those same appliances get cleaner every year.
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Start Your News DetoxThere's also a direct health benefit. Gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and other pollutants that linger in indoor air. Electric cooktops eliminate that exposure entirely.
The catch: appliances are expensive. A heat pump, induction stove, and electric water heater can run $15,000 or more. Federal tax credits that helped households afford these upgrades expire in December under the new federal budget law — seven years earlier than planned. The federally funded rebate program (HEAR) is also uncertain.
Which is why Illinois' approach matters. ComEd, which serves Chicago and northern Illinois, now pays all up-front costs for eligible households earning at or below 80% of area median income. The utility is required to cut electricity consumption by 2% annually, and the state allows up to 10% of those savings to come from electrification. The formula is straightforward: measure how much energy a gas appliance uses, convert it to kilowatt-hours, and count the switch as an energy saving.
Ameren, which serves central and southern Illinois, is taking a slower approach but will spend $5 million through 2029 helping rural customers switch from propane to electric heat pumps.
What comes next
There's a wrinkle ahead. As electricity prices spike — driven by record costs for securing enough power-generating capacity — some electrification swaps that used to reduce bills won't anymore. ComEd can only offer appliances that lower customer bills, so high electricity prices will shrink the pool of eligible households.
Philip Roy, ComEd's director of clean energy solutions, sees a path forward. Rooftop solar and battery storage can provide households with free, clean electricity to power their appliances. Illinois already has strong incentives for low-income households to install solar at little or no upfront cost. The pieces are there; the policy just needs refinement.
"We see a lot of momentum with these programs," Roy said. "Combining traditional energy efficiency, electrification, rooftop solar, and battery storage — we have a lot of the tools." The next phase is locking in the right incentives to accelerate the transition.
