Powering household electrification

As households switch to electricity for home heating and transportation, electricity systems need to be ready to support them. That will require proactive planning and investment in infrastructure, including distribution systems that bring electricity from the bulk grid into cities, towns, and rural areas in order to support infrastructure like electric vehicle (EV) charging networks.

Why household electrification matters

Nearly 20 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions come from household energy use, including residential heating and cooling and personal transport.

The solution to cutting household emissions lies almost entirely in switching from fossil fuels to electricity with electric EVs, heat pumps, and other electric appliances. 

Greater household electrification brings new challenges for local grids by changing the amount and timing of electricity use. EVs, household batteries, and smart devices also offer the potential for consumers to shift their usage, lowering costs for themselves and all ratepayers. For example, managed EV charging—where the timing of EV charging is optimized to reduce pressure at peak demand times—can boost the system’s cost-efficiency and reliability.

a new series on RESIDENTIAL electrification

The Canadian Climate Institute is undertaking a new project to explore what it means for energy systems to be ready for household electrification, and how federal and provincial/territorial policy can help ensure that systems are prepared in a prudent and cost-effective way. 

We will be releasing a series of publications in 2026 and early 2027, including new research on: 

Related publications

You can read more of our previous work: 

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