Longtime readers will know that Dee, Clif, and I take climate change very seriously. While we know that a system-wide change is absolutely essential, we believe that individuals have a responsibility, too. As such, we are doing what we can—actually, what we can afford—to stop burning fossil fuels for energy. In short, we are going electric. This is the first time in human history that folks have this option, and kudos to all the engineers and designers who have made this possible.
To date: We have one electric car and a charger, which is right in our yard. The car’s range is over 200 miles, even in the winter, and the car has worked beautifully. (We have had it about a year now.) In our electric car, we have driven to southern Maine, a round trip of about 170 miles, without a single hitch. Our second car is a traditional gasoline engine car, and we hope to get another electric one when it’s time to trade it in. (As our gasoline car is 15 years old, that time will soon be coming.)
For heat, as is typical of many Mainers, we have a variety of systems. We have electric baseboard heat, which works well but is expensive. This came with the house. We have a wood furnace in the basement, which puts out the coziest heat ever, but hauling wood is a lot of work, and Clif is no longer a spring chicken. Then, about twenty-five years ago, we had propane heaters installed. They work well, but they still use fossil fuel and recently, they have become expensive to run.
A few weeks ago, we had the propane heaters removed, and in their place, two heat pumps were installed. Here is the one that will heat (and cool!) our kitchen, dining room, and living room.
This morning was a cool June morning, not unusual for Maine. Inside, the temp was about 64°F. We turned on the heat pump, and it didn’t take long for the dining room, kitchen, and living room to reach a comfortable 70°. At which point, the heater shut off.
Best of all, the heat pumps will cool the air and remove the excess humidity. For the past few years in Maine, July has been a horrible hot month, with effective temperatures in the 100s. I can only imagine what my parents and grandparents would think of these temperatures. Back in the 70s, when it reached 85°, we thought the heat was unbearable. But it only reached 85° a few days at the end of July, and hardly anyone in our town had an air conditioner.
That has all changed, and we are ready with our heat pumps. Good friends have heat pumps, and they love them. Best of all, the heat pumps are much cheaper to run than electric baseboard or propane or oil.
A post about our electric journey would not be complete without mentioning a blogging friend, Tom from Tootlepedal’s Blog. He and his wife, Alison, have gone the extra mile with their electric journey. Not only do they have an electric car but they also have installed solar panels in what they call their garden. (Here, we call it a yard.) Bravo, Tom and Alison! You two are an inspiration to me.
Finally, I do want to add that going solar and electric can be expensive, and I totally understand why it is out of the reach of some people. With our combined incomes, Dee, Clif, and I have more leeway than many folks do. But what’s important is to make what effort you can.
In the end, small things add up.
And here’s a song by MJ Lenderman reminding us that we all got work to do.
Notes From the Hinterland 
👍🏼 👏🏼 💚
I love the idea of electric cars. But I worry about finding charging stations on cross country trips. I think eventually I’ll have one for tooling around town, with a charger installed at home…but I might always have either a combo or a gas vehicle for longer trips. But things keep evolving and maybe before I have to make those decisions something better will come along. We have a heat pump in Alabama too. Don’t think we could survive down there in the summer with no air, and it still gets plenty cold in the winter, just not AS cold or for as long.
You might want to check about the availability of chargers. We have a friend who drove his electric car to Iowa, and he had no problems finding charging stations.
Great idea to switch systems Laurie, and love that solar light!
Thanks, June! We have high hopes for our heat pumps.
I am glad that your heat pumps look as though they are going to be good value. Publicists, presumably working for fossil fuel interests, have done their best to spread misinformation about them here. As a result, they have not been adopted as much as they should have been by now.
Oh, yes! Those fossil fuel companies are skunks. They have sown doubt about climate change and no doubt they have spread rumors that electric cars are more wasteful than gasoline engine cars. Those companies have a lot to answer for.
We were lucky that the house we moved into in 2010 had a heat pump installed. We saw the receipt, it cost over $10K but was the big square box that sits outside, not a smaller modern one. Very inexpensive heat once installed. It had air conditioning and we said we will never need that here at the coast…but since then the summers have gotten hotter so there are several days each summer when we do use it.
We never thought we would need air conditioning in our home by the woods. And for over 30 years, we didn’t. But the climate has changed, and now it gets very hot in the summer. In fact, a heat wave is coming next week.
Hi, Laurie – I 100% agree that small things add up and that we all need to stay informed and do our part, even though each of our parts may look different. Us all working toward the same direction is the key. ❤
Yes, different solutions for different folks. Onward ho!
We all need to do what we can. Every little bit helps. But my opinion is that too much damage has been done, and continues to be done. At this point, it will be semi-miraculous if climate change ever is slowed down, let alone reversed.
I know. But still we make the effort.
Well done Laurie and the heat pumps look perfect for your home in the woods! Thank you for sharing the lovely music too! 💛🎶 xxx
My pleasure! Glad you liked the music.
Good to hear the electric car is still going strong, and I hope you’ll come back in a year and tell us about the heat pumps. We are using propane to heat, and it has been running about $4.50 a gallon the last couple of winters. We have on demand water which saves fuel, but you have to get a little creative so you don’t run gallons of water down the drain waiting for it to be hot. Our A/C is electric. Congrats on your new acquisition, and I hope it works great!!
In recent years, we found propane to be very expensive. Friends who have heat pumps have told us how cost effective they are. Fingers crossed!
Kudos for trying to do your part, Laurie. Sometimes it feels like a drop in the ocean, but it’s inconceivable to do nothing.
When we needed a new car last year, we opted for a hybrid. With the distances between towns and charging stations out here, it seemed the best compromise. In town, we can drive electric only, and on longer trips, the electric motor helps lower fuel consumption. It’s not much, but it’s something.
I hope your heat pumps will fulfill your expectations.
Thanks, Tanya. Everyone’s situation is different. We love those heat pumps already.
👍
Yep, every little helps. “what’s important is to make what effort you can.”
I wanted a fully electric car but we are too rural so we had the next best thing and bought a hybrid. It does save quite a bit of fuel but you need, as I am always saying to hubby to change your driving habits.
Portugal is really keen on renewal energy and encourages people to have solar panels on their roofs. We have six. The government not only gave a discount by not charging VAT tax they gave 5 years interest free credit so with the savings you make on your electricity bill it pays for the monthly payment.
We also use logs to heat our house.
No aircon.
At the height of the day we generate about 2.8 kw per hour
Wowsah, I am impressed with those solar panels. And wonderful that the government is promoting them.
Congratulations on your new heat pumps, Laurie, Cliff and Dee. I didn’t realize they were a better alternative. Thanks for the info!
Supposedly very cost effective, too.
Awesome.
Yes, we all need to do what we can do. It all adds up. Heat pumps are great!
Love them already.
You’re going to love your heat pumps, Laurie! An excellent replacement. 😊
Yes, yes! We already do, and we have only had them for two days.
Our Norwegian family recently installed heat pumps and are very pleased with them. Here, our winters are fairly short and so we have plenty of rugs to keep us warm during the winter when we are sitting in the lounge. As for electric vehicles: our general electricity supply is so erratic that I would not trust having an electric car, plus, there is a tendency for thieves to make off with electric cables to extract the copper … we recently spent three days sans electricity in our area because of cable theft.
Glad to hear your Norwegian family is pleased with their heat pumps. Sorry about your situation with electricity. It seems to me you live in an ideal climate for solar panels. Someday, maybe.
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for an interesting post, and I’ll look out for the heat pumps…..Paul enjoyed the ML Lenderman music and song.
My pleasure! Seems as though they would be just the thing for your climate. Paul and I have similar taste in music.
Yes, Paul has listened to all the music you have suggested (since COVID I think)..keep up the good music!
A fascinating advocacy for electricity. We have no gas where we are and are therefore dependent on electricity
You are ahead of the game, then.
🙂
Wonderful job.
We have a fine solution for warm water and heating panels. We use an environmentally friendly energy source. Our waste management company uses municipal waste and produces energy. It is much cheaper and efficient than other resources. There was an article in The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/14/norway-waste-energy
Wonderful to have heating panels. We would love to have them, too.
Congratulations on your heat pumps and making a difference with our climate!! I enjoy their blog (especially the bike rides) and was amazed to watch the solar panel project. Our summers have changed like yours and we have a heat wave arriving this weekend. I hope your car continues to make it, but it will be exciting for you guys to have a new electric car.🙂
Thank you for making a difference, Laurie, and also for your carefully worded comments about the cost. As you say, small things add up. Mike has an electric car and my son has a hybrid. I’m the only one with a gas powered car. We also love our solar lights. Those heat pumps sound fascinating, and what a boon to have them remove humidity from your home. That alone would be worth the price. Your garden looks lush in the background. I love your solar moon.
Well said Laurie! When I had to change my car I couldn’t afford an electric one – here in the UK even second hand ones are very pricey. But like you I do what I can. I have an air source heat pump which does the whole house and hot water. I haven’t seen those small ones before but they look a good alternative.
I sure do understand about not being able to afford an electric car. Not sure we will be able to afford one when the time comes. We shall see.
We are loving our heat pumps. Today, it’s 90 in the shade with high humidity. Very comfortable in the house. Wonderful that you have a whole house heat pump.
That sounds a very successful improvement to your house. When I bought my heat pump 14 years ago they were very new in the UK and whole house was all there was. It doesn’t have air conditioning – there was no need in the UK! Maybe in the future I will wish it could do that too because the weather in summer is certainly getting hotter.
Yesterday, it was 100 in the shade. The heat pumps made all the difference.
That last photo is magical.
Well done, you guys. Currently we drive hybrid cars as we’re not convinced that the infrastructure here in the UK would be adequate to support our driving vacations in Scotland. One day, maybe. We are currently enduring a heatwave here, so the air-conditioning mode of your heat pumps sounds very appealing.
That’s a stunning photo with the Iris!
Good for you, Laurie — you’re right, we all can (and should) do something. My car is a hybrid, and I love it! Charging stations in my small town are few and far between, so I’m dipping my toes in the water gradually. Some of my neighbors have solar panels on their rooftops, but I’m going to need some concrete proof that that’s the way to go before I jump in.
Your solar globe in the garden is just magical, Laurie! We’re little by little adding solar to our power repertoire, but you’re right that it’s expensive. Good for you for making some investments! Thanks for leading the way. 🙂
It’s just inspiring to see people making such a concerted effort to do the right thing. Thank you for spread the word.
We have a heat pump for downstairs, woodburner for upstairs. Love them both for different reasons. Also love our EV. Those Tootlepedals are an inspiration🙂
Your set-up sounds similar to ours. We sometimes have power outages in the winter, and we must have heat that doesn’t rely on electricity.
What kind of EV do you have?
And as for those Tootlepedals being an inspiration…yes, yes, and yes!
We’re dedicated Nissan folk: a Nissan Leaf.
Wonderful!