Three Reasons to Replace Your Gas Stove or Oven (with Up to $840 Savings!)

Focus on Energy has just launched the second half of the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program. You can read more about HEAR on our HEAR 101 page, or at https://focusonenergy.com/ira-hear. This second part is the portion of the program where eligible households can get up to $840 in the form of a rebate for replacing their gas cooking appliances with Energy Star-rated electrical ones.

So, why make the switch–especially if you like what you have? That’s a fair question. Here are three reasons to consider it.

Three reasons you should replace your gas stove or oven

1. Your family’s health and safety.
   It turns out that piping natural gas into your home and burning it isn’t a great idea. Combustion releases chemical compounds like nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and other airborne toxins that are linked to birth defects, cancer, and respiratory diseases. These pollutants linger in the air above your gas stove while you’re cooking. Toxins that are strictly regulated outdoors get a free pass in your kitchen. Why? While the Clean Air Act and EPA monitor outdoor air quality, no one’s watching the air inside your home.
   
   Even when your stove is off, methane can leak from pipe fittings and valves into your indoor air.
   
   Research shows that 13% of childhood asthma cases are attributable to gas stove use. That’s a significant health risk—especially for households with kids. And adults aren’t immune, either. The American Lung Association strongly recommends switching to electric.
2. The use of natural gas is connected to climate change and there is no clean natural gas.
   Natural gas has provided cheap, reliable energy for decades, replacing older fuels like wood and coal. But just as gas was an upgrade back then, it’s now been surpassed by modern electric appliances. Induction cooktops and electric ovens are more efficient and safer than their gas counterparts.
   
   They might not be cheaper upfront, but that’s where the HEAR rebate comes in. If your appliances contribute to climate change and better options exist, why not make the switch? It’s time to move beyond natural gas, just as earlier generations moved beyond the woodpile.
3. Induction burners are better. I used to be a big gas stove guy. “Must have a gas stove,” was right at the top of my list when we were looking for a house 20 years ago. I wouldn’t have thought that 18 years later I’d be replacing it with something that ran on electricity. Gas and fire felt real, you could char the outsides of peppers… And, you know, fire. But, I have to admit that induction is better in every respect. It’s as responsive as fire, and it’s much, much safer. True, you can’t char a pepper on an open flame, but you can blister it on cast iron, and that’s just as good.

Here’s a video from PBS that gets into some of these points:

Using the HEAR program to get an electrical range, cooktop, or oven

Ready to get the gas out of your kitchen? Here’s what you need to know:

• Eligibility: The HEAR program is available to households earning less than 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
  • If your income is between 80%–150% of AMI, you qualify for 50% off the cost of an electric cooking appliance, up to $840.If your income is below 80% of AMI, you can receive 100% of the purchase price, up to $840.
  To verify your household income, click here.
• Appliance type: The rebate applies only if you are replacing a gas appliance with an electric one. If you’re switching from an old electric coil stove to an induction cooktop, unfortunately, that doesn’t qualify.

In the Green Bay area, four retailers are currently registered:

• Three Menards locations
• Van Vreede’s on West Mason St.

Some retailers offer the rebate as an instant discount, while others require post-purchase submission for reimbursement. Be sure to ask! Note that since this is a new program and not every customer service rep may be familiar with the details.

Heat Pump Clothes Dryers

The same rebates apply to heat pump clothes dryers. If you’re replacing a gas-powered dryer with a heat pump model, you can qualify for the same rebate amount.

Heat pump dryers are far more energy-efficient, and while they take longer to complete cycles, they’ll save you money over time. They also offer some other advantages, they don’t require external venting, for example.

For more information, including on how the first part of the HEAR program functions, check out our HEAR 101 page.