Why replace gas-burning appliances? Gas burned for cooking and heating releases nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and PM2.5 (small particulate matter) into our homes, and into the atmosphere, exacerbating respiratory health conditions like asthma, as well as degrading overall air quality and contributing to the climate crisis.

High-efficiency heat pumps provide heating and cooling through a single system. Like air conditioners, they use compression and refrigerants to capture and release heat. Today’s heat pumps are highly efficient and are powerful enough to provide heat even in Colorado winters and cooling in our increasingly hot summers.

Induction cooktops allow you to cook efficiently with electricity. By utilizing an electro-magnetic impulse that travels directly into your cookware, heating your pots, not your stove, induction cooktops reduce the danger of burns and reduce the costs of electricity bills.

Heat pumps, which can replace gas heat, are four times as efficient as traditional gas heaters and have the benefit of providing cooling in summer.

Using heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and induction cooktops also reduce the risk of asthma and respiratory illnesses, particularly in children. Further, the elimination of gas sources of heat greatly reduces the opportunity for methane gas leaks into the home, which can cause dangerous fires and explosions with little to no warning.

About 70% of homes in Colorado are heated with methane gas, which is a key source of greenhouse gas emissions at every phase of production, transport, and consumption. The Healthy Electric Homes (HEH) initiative seeks to reduce the need for fossil fuels by working with ally groups and promotes the many environmental and health benefits of switching to electric appliances and heating technology in our homes and buildings.

Immediate, expedited action is critical to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis, many of which are becoming apparent today. It is imperative that we replace fossil fuels with clean, safe, renewable energy; increase energy efficiency, and electrify homes and buildings. PSR Colorado engages concerned health professionals in advocating for and supporting the building electrification movement to transition off fossil fuels.