The best electric appliances you can buy if you rent.

Will somebody please think of the renters?!

While working on our home electrification series with Rewiring America, we received a lot of feedback that most of the information provided is geared toward homeowners. And renters want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels too!

We hear you. Renters, this guide is for you!

First, forward our home electrification series to your landlord. Let them know about all the benefits available to them through the Inflation Reduction Act, and show them how to calculate the incentives and rebates available to them using Rewiring America’s IRA savings calculator.

And if your landlord wants to leave money on the table, there are still a lot of ways renters can electrify their home to make it more comfortable, and save money on their utility bill.

Let’s go.

The best stovetop (or cooktop if you prefer)

If your landlord won’t upgrade your gas stove, you can still reduce your gas use, and avoid having an open flame in your kitchen, by purchasing a portable induction burner.

You can get a good one for $150 that plugs into a regular 120V outlet, and the best part is you can take it with you when you move because that stove is all yours. Feel free to get attached. Give it a name. It’s your new best friend.

There are also myriad other electric cooking options to make you feel like you’re on Top Chef including electric crockpots (who doesn’t love a good stew?), toaster ovens, camp stoves, barbeques, or pressure cookers (one of these WILL change your life).

Our Recommendations:

• The Duxtop Portable Induction Cooktop ($116*) - highly rated by Wirecutter and CNN

• Instant Pot Duo Crisp ($152*) - it’s a pressure cooker AND an air fryer. Need I say more?

*price at time of publication

The best water heater (or just using less water)

Unfortunately, as a renter, you probably don’t have a lot of control over how your water is heated.

Fortunately, you do have control over your water consumption, and reducing your water use where you can is good for the planet and for your wallet.

Fix any leaks and drips in your unit, and get low-flow options for your shower head and faucets.

Congratulations, you’ve taken action on climate change.

Our Recommendations:

• High Sierra 1.5 GPM High-Efficiency Low Flow Shower Head ($40*)

• American Standard Colony Faucet ($192*)

*price at time of publication

The best clothes dryer

The most planet-friendly way to dry your clothes is by hanging them up to air dry, as nature intended.

But, who am I to deny you the pleasure of warm sheets fresh from the dryer?

If you have the space, ventless dryers are a great, efficient, and electric way to dry your clothes. No vent means no holes punched in your wall, which makes ventless dryers a great option for renters.

You can read more about ventless dryers and how they work in our original piece because in this case, the information isn’t that different if you own or rent.

Depending on how often you use it, you can save up to $75 a year on your utility bill, and some states and utilities offer up from $50 to $300 in rebates for an ENERGY STAR dryer. Use the ENERGY STAR rebate finder tool for more info.

Our Recommendations:

• Bosch 2.2 Cu Ft 500 Series Heat Pump Dryer ($1449*) - reliable, efficient, and compact

• Samsung 4.0 Cu Ft Heat Pump Dryer ($1169*) - stackable and compact

*price at time of publication

The best EV (or better yet, an e-bike)

We need fewer cars in general, so get an e-bike (find incentives to buy one in your state here, and then choose the best one that works for you here) or a bus pass if you can, but if you need a car, make it an EV.

The only difference between owning an electric vehicle if you rent or own your home, is that as a renter, you may not have the option to charge your EV at home.

But, the only difference between owning an electric vehicle and a gas-powered vehicle if you’re a renter (at least on the day-to-day), is that you will need to power your car at a charging station instead of a gas station.

Charging stations typically have “Level 3” chargers, and can charge your EV in as little as 20 minutes, and you avoid the risk of getting gas on your shoes.

For more information about the ins and outs of EV ownership, read our original post.

Our Recommendations:

• 2023 Kia EV6 ($48,700-$61,600*) - Top-rated at Consumer Reports, with 5 seats and a 274-mile range

• 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 ($41,450-$54,500*) - Rated “Most Satisfying” by Consumer Reports, with 266-303 miles of range (model-dependent)

• Or use PlugStar to find the best option based on criteria specific to you

*price at time of publication

The best solar panel (or other renewable energy sources)

Powering your home with renewable energy is actually becoming more and more accessible, even if you don’t own your roof.

Option 1: If you are responsible for your utilities, check if your provider has a 100% renewable plan you can switch to. It could be called something like Solar Choice or Renewable Choice

Option 2: If you aren’t directly responsible for your utilities (your apartment building has a single meter for the whole complex for example), ask your landlord or HOA about switching to a renewable energy plan

Option 3: Enroll in a Community Solar (or wind) project, where you can either subscribe to or buy solar panels that feed into the grid, earning you credits to offset your utility bill

• Before signing an agreement, read this first

• Then look for a project through Energy Sage’s marketplace, NREL’s “Sharing The Sun” projects, or just search for “YOUR STATE NAME + community solar”

And as a bonus, the more you use electricity from renewables, the more your energy provider will be incentivized to buy more renewable energy to keep up with your demand.

The best heat pump (and other electric heating options)

Renters have a couple of electric heating options that aren’t necessarily at the whim of a landlord, and go beyond your dad’s insistence for you to “Just put on a sweater!”

Option 1: Purchase a packaged heat pump, which is an all-in-one unit, and looks kind of like a window air conditioner, except it works in both directions —such as this option from Gradient

Option 2: Get a portable standalone unit, that sometimes comes with hoses you can mount in your window — like this smart one from Cooper & Hunter, or this budget-friendly one from Newair

Option 3: Plug-in space heaters, electric blankets, or even electric rugs (your cat will love it) are also great options to make your living space more comfortable and energy efficient

You got this!

Outro

For more home electrification support, check out our other guides:

• Get Electric! The Prep Guide

• A Free Electrified Bank Account

• The Best Solar Panels You Can Buy

• The Best Stovetop You Can Buy

• The Best Water Heater You Can Buy

• The Best Clothes Dryer You Can Buy

• The Best EV You Can Buy

• The Best Heat Pump You Can Buy

• Your Home Electrification Questions, Answered, Round #1

• BONUS: Listen to our conversation with home electrification wiz John Semmelhack for a comprehensive overview of the whole process (or watch the episode on YouTube!)

Got questions? Shoot us an email at [email protected].