Testimonial from Kathy Kremer
Kathy Kremer was always interested in sustainability, which she routinely incorporated into her work as a residential building designer. But in the last five years she has retrofitted her small (830 square feet–“I like small” ) Lake Oswego home mindful of the climate crisis and a slew of available incentives. She still had her original decades-old oil heater. She started her electrification journey by converting to a type of electric heat pump called a “ductless mini-split” that is wall mounted and does not use vents or ducts. She hesitated because she was not fond of the wall mounted look, but finally decided energy efficiency was more important than aesthetics. And the truth is “I began liking its looks when I began to truly appreciate its efficiency and value.” She followed with a heat pump water heater that “paid for itself in two years”, and then an electric vehicle. But her favorite appliance, being an avid cook, is her new induction range “So precise and so freaking fast! Whoever said a watched pot never boils is wrong when it comes to induction.” She understands that her clients may have an “atavistic pleasure in fossil gas”, but induction cooking is not only safer, but “just plain joyful”.
Overall, she is impressed by how much her energy costs have reduced. In 2017, as she started her electrification journey, her one-year energy cost, including hot water, heat (oil), gas for the car, and electricity, was $3786. Last year, with all her energy now electrical, her cost for hot water, heat, electricity, and EV car charging was $1607. “Imagine what the savings would be with a larger home.”
