Helping buildings become all-electric and run on “clean heat” has gotten a lot of press attention lately. We’ve even given some advice about going electric on our website and in this blog. But just like any building renovation, you have to consider dollars and cents. So where do you start?

Well, how about a calculator?

The Rocky Mountain Institute’s “Green Update Calculator” can be a handy tool to walk you step-by-step through the possibilities. You start by putting in some basics, such as the size and age of your home, what improvements you want to make, and what sort of heating, cooling and cooking equipment you already have. The calculator then runs the numbers to give you some idea of what to expect, including:

• Your likely up-front costs (including state and federal incentives)
• Your likely annual and long-term savings
• Your emissions savings from going electric (including an easy-to-picture equivalent, such as the number of trees planted or the amount of gasoline saved)

Obviously, that’s just a start. Once you have that general picture in mind, it’s time to look at our “step zero” suggestions of things to do before going electric, such as having your energy efficiency assessed by Efficiency Works, identifying reputable contractors, checking your electric panel and more. And of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to one tool. Our online building electrification web page has a number of resources to help you learn more about things like heat pumps, electric cooking, rebates and the benefits of doing this.

Give it a try. You may find the advantages add up faster than you think.

And if being green now can save some green later, that’s a great calculation to make.