The Healthy Homes Bill Will Help Residents Cover the Cost of Electric Heat and Appliances and Installation.  

On Monday, March 4, at 9 am, the DC Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment will meet to vote on Councilmember Charles Allen’s Healthy Homes and Residential Electrification Amendment Act of 2024, which fully or partially pay for the cost of replacing gas with electric appliances and home heating to tap into the District’s growing renewable energy sources. 

The bill requires DC retrofit 30,000 low-income homes away from fossil fuels by 2040. The amount of funding available to households is scaled based on their income, with the most generous amounts for lower-income households. The bill would not require residents to make the switch but, rather, would provide financial support for residents on a sliding scale based on income, with the most generous support for households earning under 80 percent of the Districts’ Median Family Income. 

“To meet our climate action goals and act for our future, it is clear we must electrify quickly and move away from legacy methane burned in our homes. But participation in the program is voluntary and the bill would not require residents to make the switch. Instead, the bill simply provides financial support for residents to transition away from fossil fuels should they choose to – likely at no cost to them. In other words, no one is coming to take your gas appliances away unless you ask them to,” said Councilmember Allen, who chairs the Committee. “As more and more people opt out of gas and into electric, it will get more expensive for the remaining users, especially homes that can’t afford to make the switch on their own.” 

The cost of full electrification for a single-family home can run upwards of $30,000 if that includes heat pumps as well as smaller appliances.   

“The data is compelling that natural gas, which is a fossil fuel, is contributing significantly to air pollution inside our homes – a Rocky Mountain Institute study found children growing up in a home with a gas stove are 42% higher risk to develop asthma symptoms,” said Councilmember Allen. “Add to that the District’s ambitious goals to go carbon neutral. This is a direct, doable plan to reach that goal. Our local strategy to mitigate climate change is simple: electrify everything we can in our daily lives, and start powering that electricity from renewable sources. This bill is a win for everyone.” 

Here are the benchmarks as laid out in the committee report:   

The bill also puts in place mandates on reporting and job training to ensure we have enough contractors and people who can do this work. Councilmember Allen added, "Taking action on climate isn't just the right thing to do, it's a jobs program that creates ands supports well paying careers for DC residents. The rest of the country is moving fast to create jobs of the future and DC has to catch up. Electrification represents an enormous opportunity to create new, sustainable jobs.” 

As a reminder, in the FY24 budget, Councilmember Allen led the Council to fund a $2 million pilot program to begin conversions in the River Terrace and Deanwood neighborhoods in Ward 7. 

The Legislative History of the Healthy Homes and Residential Electrification Amendment Act of 2023:  

Introduction: February 2, 2023 

Public Hearing: May 9, 2023 

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