With the help of the Electrify Marin rebate program, more and more Marin County homeowners have replaced natural gas- and propane-fueled appliances with efficient electric upgrades that improve home performance and reduce their carbon footprint.  

An estimated one-third of the greenhouse gases produced in Marin County come from existing buildings, largely the result of natural gas and propane used by appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, cooktops, and ranges. Electrify Marin, a County program funded by a grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), seeks to reduce those emissions by incentivizing retrofit projects in Marin homes. Electrify Marin is managed by the Marin County Sustainability Team, a division of the Marin County Community Development Agency.

Since the rebate program launched in 2019, over $100,000 in rebates have been paid to Marin residents who have chosen efficient electric appliances over those powered by fossil fuels. The County also encourages new all-electric construction through an electric-favored reach code that goes beyond statewide green building standards. These rebates will be available through June 2021 or until all program funds are expended, whichever comes first.

In recent years, the electrical grid has gotten cleaner, with a growing proportion of our electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind. Local homeowners can opt-in to 100% renewable programs offered by MCE and PG&E. For homes with solar, electrification can be an ideal way to utilize the excess energy produced by the system to power the home, rather than sending it back onto the grid. 

New appliances for water heating, space heating/cooling, and cooking also make the transition to electricity more attractive. Heat pump water heaters are the most efficient electric water heating option available. Heat pump systems allow for multiple temperatures zones within the home and provide heating and cooling with a single efficient appliance. Induction cooking equipment can improve a home’s indoor air quality, keep your kitchen from overheating in the summer, and afford faster cooking times and easier cleanup. 

Those new technologies are more expensive than older models, so the Electrify Marin rebates are designed to bridge the price gap between a traditional appliance replacement and an efficient electric one, providing between $250 and $4,500 per upgrade, depending on the appliance type and household income level. 

Even if you’re not ready to go all electric, replacing a gas water heater with an efficient electric one, powered by 100% renewable electricity, can reduce a home’s fossil fuel use by around 40%. That’s a significant impact.

Mill Valley resident and environmental advocate, Fabrice Florin received a $1,000 rebate when he installed a heat pump water heater to replace his gas-powered unit. As a 100% Deep Green MCE customer, Fabrice now powers his water heating with 100% renewable energy. And Mairi Pileggi of Inverness received a total of $3,700 in rebates from Electrify Marin to add solar panels to her roof, replace her propane furnace, water heater, and stove with efficient electric appliances, and add battery storage to ensure her all-electric home is prepared in the event of a power shutoff. 

Additional rebate programs for home electrification have come on the scene recently. The Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) is now providing rebates for homeowners to switch from natural gas to electric heat pump water heaters, home heating/cooling systems, induction cooktops, and clothes dryers. Another new program is available from Stop Waste and MCE, paying rebates on heat pump water heaters directly to contractors, who can then pass savings along to clients. In many cases the programs overlap, giving homeowners the opportunity to get multiple rebates on the same project. 

To take advantage of Electrify Marin rebates, visit www.marincounty.org/electrify.

MCE's innovative energy savings and customer programs help residents and multifamily property owners reduce their carbon footprint and cut costs through energy efficiency, electric vehicle and solar programs.

See if one of these programs might be good for you:

• Multifamily energy savings program - provides multifamily property owners with rebates up to $1,000 per unit as well as free comprehensive assessments and consultations for energy and water saving measures
• MCE Healthy Homes initiative - offers upgrades to improve the health, safety and efficiency of Marin County homes (up to $5,000 in incentives) and multifamily properties (up to $2,250 in incentives per unit in addition to the LIFT program rebates)
• Direct install program - provides income-qualifying homeowners and renters with free smart thermostats, installed at no cost by MCE's technical experts
• Low Income Families and Tenants (LIFT) program - Low income families and tenants can get an extra $1,200 per unit for income-qualified multifamily property owners or renters for energy and water saving measures
• Electric Vehicles and Charging - EV rebates of $3,500 are available for income-qualified individuals to purchase or lease new electric vehicles. Combined with the State's rebate, a total rebate of $7,000 to $8,000 is available
• EV Charging incentive for Multifamily Properties - offers $3,000 per EV charging port for 2 - 20 charging ports, with free technical assistance. Opt up to 100% Deep Green renewable energy, and an additional $500 per charging port is added