Steps to switch from gas to electric stove

As California moves toward an all-electric future, some in the Bay Area may be interested in swapping out their gas stove for an electric one.

Bay Area regulators want to phase out gas furnaces and water heaters, but are not currently considering banning gas stoves. California has a far higher average of households that use natural gas for cooking — in 2020, the latest available data, it was at 70%. The U.S. average was 38%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Some Bay Area cities and counties, like Berkeley, have banned gas stoves in new construction.

And some residents might be worried about the health impacts of indoor gas appliances, which can create potentially harmful pollution.

If you’re thinking about making the switch, here’s what you need to know:

Getting started

For people in older homes, like many in the Bay Area, the first thing to do is make sure your electrical panel is up to the task. Electric stoves usually require 40 amps of space on your electric panel — if you live in an older home with a smaller service panel, you’ll need to check with an electrician to see whether your panel can handle the added pull. If not, you’ll need to upgrade your panel.

On top of that, there may not be adequate wiring or outlets for an electric range where a gas one currently stands — electric ranges typically require a 240 volt outlet. If this is the case, you’ll need to install new electrical wiring to the range from the panel, which includes new wiring, a new outlet and potentially cutting through walls or ceilings.

Getting your electric setup prepared for a new electric range can be expensive. For electrical work, costs vary significantly depending on how far your panel is from your stove, electricians said. According to sustainable energy research website Carbon Switch, people who had to upgrade their electric panels to accommodate an induction stove spent an average of about $987 on electrical work. HomeAdvisor put the average cost for upgrading an electrical panel at $1,200, though it can range from a few hundred dollars to $5,000.

Induction or electric

Once you have your home set up for the switch, there comes another choice: whether to get a traditional electric stove or an induction cooktop. Noah Cordoba, a senior kitchen electrification associate for The Building Decarbonization Coalition, said that induction stoves are more energy efficient than typical electric stoves and tend to be faster to heat up, and easier to use and control — something people who cook a lot on gas stoves might be looking for.

But induction stoves tend to be much pricier than regular electric ones, he noted. Induction ranges typically start around $1,000, though most are in the $2,000 to $4,000 range, while electric ranges start around $500. There are other costs associated with induction stoves: Only magnetic cookware works on them, which usually includes popular investment brands like Le Creuset, but still might require some to purchase new cookware.

For many home cooks, “electric does the job,” he said.

Rebates

The Inflation Reduction Act pumped money into states to support energy rebate programs — and California is expected to receive more than $582 million, according to the state energy department. Later this year, low- to moderate-income Californians will be able to receive up to $840 for upgrading to an electric stove, up to $4,000 toward a new electrical panel and up to $2,500 for electric rewiring.

The Building Decarbonization Coalition has a rebate lookup tool.

Cordoba pointed out that many rebates go toward induction stoves specifically, so it’s worth checking to see whether those rebates can bring the cost of an induction range lower than a traditional electric stove.

Timeline

The typical timeline for switching to electric varies significantly, Cordoba said. For those who need their electrical panel upgraded, the timing can depend on when contractors are available, though the project itself can take a day or more. From there, there may be lag time to actually get your new range due to supply chain issues or lack of inventory, especially for increasingly popular induction stoves, but once it’s there, the installation is fairly quick, he said.

Installation costs, separate from any electrical work, typically run between $100 and $200, and sometimes can be done by the company you bought the range from, according to several home improvement guides.

If you aren’t sure

For renters who can’t change their stove or for those who aren’t sure, you can get a plugin, portable induction cooktop to try out, Cordoba said — something he’s done himself as a renter.

Portable induction cooktops are sold at most home goods stores and range in price from around $60 to more than $1,000, depending on brand, size and extra features. PG&E also has a two-week induction cooktop loan program for those hoping to try one out in the short term for free.