Case study

Project Name: Southern California Edison’s Energy Savings Assistance,  Building Electrification Pilot

Project Leader(s): Southern California Edison  (SCE)

Partner(s): MAROMA Energy Services (program implementer)

Stage of Completion: In-progress

Construction Type: Existing buildings

Building Type: Single-family - Buildings with 4 or fewer units (duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes can qualify if individually metered) 

Total Number of Units Targeted: 2,000

Total Number of Units Completed: None as of now, 20 projects in review and 100 in progress.

Tenant Structure:

• Owner occupied, or 

• Renter occupied 

• Property owners must agree to restriction on rent increases as a result of home improvement and restriction on Evictions

Target Audience:

• SCE residential electric customer with an active, individually metered account

• Live in a single-family home or building with 4 or fewer units

• Home must have a gas or propane furnace and water heater

• Meet program income eligibility guidelines

• Estimated bill impacts must either lower or not change current energy costs 

Full/Partial Electrification: Partial

• To participate in the program, customers must agree to replace space heating and water heating with heat pump technologies. 

• A limited number of customers will receive electric clothes dryers and induction cooking appliances. 

• SCE will cover any panel upgrades needed for space heating, water heating, and induction stoves. 

Existing Heating Fuel Type: Natural gas or propane

End Uses Electrified:

• Space heating and cooling and water heating

• This may include cooking and laundry (for select participants) 

Specific electric appliances installed: Air source heat pump, heat pump water heater, and, for select participants, an induction stove and electric clothes dryer 

Total Project Funding: $40.8M over FY 2023-2026

Amount or % of Project Cost Covered per unit: 100% 

Source of Funding: Public Purpose Program Charge - funded by California utility ratepayers. All utility ratepayers pay into this fund, which allows the utilities to offer various programs to income-qualified households at no cost.  

Motivation for electrification: The pilot’s objectives are to provide cleaner, more affordable energy options to low-income residential customers in SCE’s jurisdiction. Through the program, SCE is looking to provide building electrification retrofits to reduce energy operating costs, reduce residential GHG production, increase knowledge and awareness of clean energy options provided by electrification, and identify partners or organizations with interest in this work. 

Additional Measures Implemented:

• Insulation, smart thermostat, and induction stove recipients will receive a starter cooktop set. 

• Participants are also eligible to receive appliances and efficiency upgrades offered under the larger Energy Savings Assistance program, including weatherization, LED lamps and refrigerators.

Workforce Development/Green Jobs Component: This is not included in this pilot

Next steps: The pilot seeks lessons learned to determine what it would take to implement a full-scale electrification program. SCE hopes to identify and learn from early challenges, then modify the program for full-scale electrification.

Source: SCE Building Electrification Program Website

Links to additional sources:

• CPUC Application (page 382)

• NRDC Blog Post