Multifamily Buildings Are Going Electric

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In the future, new multifamily buildings might not be allowed to rely on gas-powered appliances. Why this is a good thing (and why your residents will thank you).

I’m sort of an HGTV nut.

I love watching couples debate different houses, make jokes about who will get to use the closet (“I’ll use it for all my shoes. But where will your stuff go? Haha.”) and argue whether they should expand their budget because obviously the third house that they look at is way over budget but totally perfect. My favorite shows, though, are when the couple already has a house, but it’s super dated, and contractors come and demolish the space and then designers add in walls, appliances and decorations and reveal the new perfect oasis.

Those shows always get me thinking about how I would redo my house—and in particular, my kitchen. Bye-bye, ugly beige cabinets that the previous owner installed. So long, narrow drawers that don’t fit anything. And see ya, gas stove.

It’s not that I dislike cooking on a gas stove. I actually like it a lot! But from an environmental perspective, electric stoves are a lot more sustainable. It has been shown that gas stoves can emit pollutants such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide, among others.

The multifamily industry is also taking a long, hard look at gas stoves in apartments. In 2022, Los Angeles began requiring new buildings to feature electric appliances. New York is following suit, and in 2026 will restrict gas hookups in many new buildings.

“The end of fossil fuels is here for new buildings,” Danielle Manley of the Urban Green Council told Diana Mosher in “Is Multifamily Ready for Building Electrification?”

Many properties nationwide are already going fully electric, with the ultimate goal of working toward zero carbon. And though there have been some gripes from people who love their gas stoves, developers have been getting many positive responses from their residents.

“Multifamily developers and investors have taken note of this trend and are marketing their buildings accordingly in order to attract and retain residents,” Sara Neff of Lendlease told Mosher.

Green communities, healthy residents and hunky contractors? Sounds like a formula for success!

Source: Multi-Housing News