SMALL NUDGES BIG GHG REDUCTIONS

When we imagine a world free of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, our minds race with visions of electrified everything, renewable energy for all, and a food system based heavily on plants.

The data reveals a different story, one that unfolds with the everyday front-and-center: household refrigerators, dishwashers, and laundry machines.

Large home appliances powered by an ordinary AC plug are responsible for about 75% of residential electric consumption in California (DNV GL Energy Insights USA, Inc. 2020) and up to two-thirds of residential electricity consumption nationally (2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, EIA 2018). However, the majority of appliances in use aren’t harnessing available energy-efficient technology.

We’re leaving most of the technical potential on the table, and millions of tons of GHGs are continuing to flood our atmosphere as a result. What’s more, in California, over half of the GHG savings potential is associated with plug-in devices in low-income households.

Influencing the retail buying decisions of millions of consumers is therefore crucial to reducing our carbon output. Equally critical is ensuring that low-income households have access to energy-efficient products.

Enervee is stepping in to make this happen. Enervee works with utility companies to build consumer-facing, end-to-end marketplaces that offer information and incentives to help people choose more energy-efficient appliances.