When my hot water heater died several years ago, I was caught flat-footed. Although I was convinced as an architect that all-electric is a better way to build both for our health and the climate, I had not anticipated this very specific work on my own house. I wasn’t yet familiar with the variety of electric water heaters that would fit in my space, and my plumber had no familiarity at all. Being in a 1920s home with an antiquated electric panel, I saw dollar signs floating in front of my eyes. I caved, replaced my gas-fired water heater, and resolved to do better next time.
I shouldn’t have caved. A few months later, my electrician stopped by and reassured me I could go all-electric in my house with my existing panel. Of course, this will be different for every residence, but typically, a 100- to 200-amp panel will support an average-size all-electric home.
With electric cars, most of us have a sense of what is involved; we have opinions about driving ranges, the availability of chargers, and how long our current car can last before it needs replacing.