Guide for Stanford Lease Holders to Electrify Your Home

To improve your indoor air quality and reduce your home’s carbon emissions, make a plan to electrify your home appliances and move away from gas. Here’s how you can get started:

Step 1: Complete a Home Energy Assessment

Connect with a free online consultation service to guide you through the process of electrification. While there are multiple options, we recommend signing up with QuitCarbon.com.

QuitCarbon provides completely free expert electrification guidance for homeowners. After you sign up, fill out some basic information about your home and your appliances. Don’t worry if you don’t know all this information right away or off the top of your head! After you finish your “Home Profile,” QuitCarbon will generate an “Insights”  page with recommendations for a plan you can make to electrify and upgrade your home. 

QuitCarbon has been widely recommended and also partners closely with the City of Palo Alto, but please note there are other providers of free electrification consulting services you are welcome to utilize.!

Step 2: Schedule a Call

QuitCarbon has energy experts who can walk you through your home energy assessment, their recommendations for your home upgrades, and information on what incentives you qualify for. On the “Insights” page of QuitCarbon,click schedule a call to find a convenient time to meet with a QuitCarbon expert.

Step 3: Make a Plan

• Act Now — Are you ready to electrify now? Ask your QuitCarbon energy advisor for help deciding which appliance or project to start with. 

• Emergency! — Did your water heater just break or is on the verge? If your gas water heater breaks unexpectedly, call  (408) 260-5255 ASAP or go to the Silicon Valley Clean Energy website to get an emergency water heater replacement. Be sure to ask SVCE what steps need to be taken to guarantee you get a rebate before you make the replacement. 

• Make a Future Plan — Is your home relatively new? Are you not looking to make any changes to your appliances right now? Instead, make a plan to swap out your gas powered appliances with electric alternatives once they are in need of replacement! Jot down the age of your appliances to keep track and bookmark this page so you know where to go.

• Alternative Path — Is electrification not the right step for you? Perhaps you are advised it would be too technically challenging for your home, especially if it is on the older side. Ask your QuitCarbon energy advisor to guide you on other steps to make your home more energy efficient by improving your home’s insulation, for example!

Step 4: Find Contractors

Email your QuitCarbon energy advisor and tell them you’re ready to move forward with your home upgrade project! QuitCarbon can connect you to local contractors and review bids.

If you’d rather take the lead, utilize one of the following resources to find a licensed, vetted contractor:

• SVCE Contractor List 
• City of Palo Alto List of Recommended Contractors 
• The Switch is On Contractor Finder

Be sure to ask your QuitCarbon energy advisor how to maximize project savings with rebates! They will share all the rebate opportunities you are eligible for.

You can receive up to $8,750 in rebates for upgrading to electric appliances! Get a $2,000 rebate switching from a gas water heater to a heat pump water heater. Get a $2,500 rebate replacing a gas furnace with a heat pump heating and cooling system. Learn more about rebates.

Step 5: Obtain Permits

Consult with your contractor and Stanford Faculty Staff Housing if Stanford approval is required for your project. Call to consult FSH at 650-725-6893 or send an e-mail to fshousing@stanford.edu to confirm. Find more information about FSH approval requirements.

Step 6: Complete Inspections and Final Steps

After the work is completed, inspections may be required to finalize your eligible rebates. You may need to submit final documents and photos. Your contractor can help guide you through this process!

Last updated 3/12/26