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About two months ago, I stopped for coffee at a Starbucks in Saratoga. It was a sunny afternoon, and I took the big warm cup outside with my magazine to enjoy some time outdoors. I noticed that a foursome who’d arrived on their bikes were now heading to the table behind me. Older folks, I thought, glancing at them. I didn’t pay any more attention as they settled into their chairs.
But then, I overheard one of the men say, “So tell us about this heat pump thing.” I perked up my ears! The other man started in, explaining their water heater was old, that they’d researched the idea of electric water heaters, and decided that a heat pump model would be the most efficient. “And we got a big rebate from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, so that reduced the cost considerably…”
By now, I was more interested in them than in my magazine. However, I didn’t want to intrude, so I just kept eaves-dropping.
“Don’t forget about the BayREN rebate, dear,” the wife interjected.
“Yes,” he said, “and because of the Federal Inflation Reduction Act — the thing that Biden got passed — we’ll be getting 30% of the cost back as a tax credit from the IRS this year. Basically, it’s costing us the same as if we’d bought a new gas water heater. So we avoided a broken water heater mess — and we’re reducing our emissions, too.”
“But what happens if they shut off the electricity?” the other woman asked.
“Yes,” the speaker said. “But it’s usually not for long. We got a slightly larger tank, so it holds enough hot water for a couple days. We set the temperature a little hotter and bought a model with a mixing valve, which adds cold water as it flows out, so you don’t burn your hands. It’s a manageable problem.”
“So now,” the wife chimed in again, “with the induction cooktop, we’re almost an all electric house!”
The other woman asked how she liked it. The first replied, “It’s so easy to clean — just wipe it with a cloth! And it’s so much faster than an old-fashioned electric coil stove. With induction, it’s easy to control the temp, and as soon as you turn it off, you can touch the glass top without getting burned.”
Then the second man said, “That’s all nice, but how can you cook if they shut off the electricity?”
“Well,” said the first man, “It hasn’t been a problem so far — but I’ve heard that the newest induction stoves also include a battery. They recharge automatically, and hold enough juice so you can cook even if the power goes down.”
“Smart idea,” said the other man.
“But you’re still using gas to heat the house, aren’t you?” the second woman inquired.
Enjoying the warm sun on my back, I wondered how they’d answer. The wife responded, “Yes, because it IS expensive to change a furnace. But I’ve been reading more about the hazards of gas. There’s a UCLA study that says kids who grow up in a home with gas are 40% more likely to develop asthma. Our grandkids visit here a lot, and I don’t want them to breathe bad indoor air, especially in the winter.”
“Our heater’s as old as our house,” her husband added, “but we do have a duct system, so it should be easy to switch from gas to an electric furnace. So, we’re planning now to switch it next year, to get another tax credit. ”
He paused and then asked, “How old is your house?”
“It’s over 70 years old,” the second man said, “with just a floor furnace. We don’t have any ducts.”
“Yeah, yours will be more expensive,” the first man nodded, adding that he’d heard about a cheaper system called “mini-splits” that are smaller units, without ducts and placed onto the exterior wall of rooms you want to heat.
“That would work,” said the second woman, adding: “I worry about gas. Remember that big gas explosion in San Bruno about 10 years ago? It blew up a whole block — some 30 houses — and eight people died! And what if we have an earthquake? Gas catches fire and that’s usually the biggest damage when there’s a quake.”
By now, my coffee was drunk, the sunshine had slipped behind a post, and it was time for me to head out. I picked up my magazine and left, glancing at the foursome with a polite smile.
“Amazing,” I thought to myself getting back into my car, “Here I am in another town, listening to people I don’t know … and they’re talking about the same stuff that we’re chewing over in Palo Alto.”
Of course, Saratoga shares many demographics with Palo Alto: affluent, older, well-educated techies. But these strangers are learning from each other. The resources we need for taking action — the appliances, the rebates, the tax credits — are now readily available throughout our region. And people are starting to make the changes.
I pushed the button to start my EV, and thought: “The awareness is growing that our Earth is in trouble — and we’re starting to do something about it. Now, if only we can do it in time?”
Debbie Mytels, a resident of Midtown, is delighted with her new heat pump water heater installed by CPAU in October. She’s a retired associate director at Acterra and currently volunteers on the steering committee of the 350SV Palo Alto Climate Team. You can reach her at debbie.mytels@gmail.com.