Life’s little routines have returned for one San Francisco family after a plumbing nightmare upended their world, and it’s in part thanks to a city program.
“From February until July, We couldn’t live in our home,” Jolie Goorjian said. “So, we’d have to go back and forth to get clothes and things. My mom lives in a one-bedroom flat.”
She and her son had no hot water for months because the plumbing problem ruined her gas-powered water heater.
“To replace it with just another gas one was between $3,000-$5,000,” she said.
But after some research, Goorjian, an educator, figured out that an event that set her back would actually propel her forward in terms of making her home more energy-efficient and climate-friendly, at no cost.
She met the criteria for a program the San Francisco Climate Equity Hub is running right now, where they’ll install heat pump water heaters for free, for qualifying residents.
“This is where we’re going, this is the more efficient way,” Goorjian said.
California is moving away from gas-powered appliances, and some of the first to be phased out in the Bay Area are gas-powered water heaters. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District banned the sale and installation of them starting in 2027.
“A huge part of San Francisco’s carbon emissions are from buildings and primarily from gas water heating and gas space heating,” said Benny Zank, a Building Decarbonization Coordinator with the San Francisco Environment Department. “The use of gas appliances in the home is a serious pollutant. So, it’s really important we’re able to replace those with non-polluting sources.”
Electrification isn’t cheap, which is why the Climate Equity Hub is hoping to assist those with making the transition as the older appliances are phased out.
“It’s really important that these regulations not be harmful to our most vulnerable residents,” Zank said. “We’re here to help and support residents and make sure this is a real benefit both for their health but also financially.”
Long-time San Francisco renter Teresa Dulalas was grateful she qualified for an electric upgrade.
“Oh my gosh, we wouldn’t be able to afford it,” she said.
She is now all aboard the mission to lower emissions.
“Something like this, you know, it may be simple, but it actually will help you health-wise,” she said.
Since the installation, she said her energy-efficient water heater has already saved her money on her utility bill.
“It went down really significantly,” she said.
Here is what is needed to qualify.
- Live in a single-family home or building with four units or less
- Household earns 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less, which is less than $115,300 per year
- Currently use a gas-powered water heater that is more than eight years old
“These communities, our environmental justice communities in San Francisco, are the ones that have faced the most pollution and have had the most low-income residents,” Zank said. “It’s really important for health, comfort, and safety, to meet our emissions requirements here in the city, and to prepare our residents for upcoming regulations.”
Zank also said there are ways people who don’t qualify for the program can still save on upgrading their systems.
“There are tax incentives, tax credits, there are rebates available, there are lots of different organizations and online sources to get you started,” he said.
As for Goorjian, the transition from gas to electric was easier than she thought it would be, and, it got her out of a jam.
“I’m working full-time, I’m taking care of my son, I’m trying to figure out how to get my bathroom and storage room rebuilt, so it really was a huge relief to feel that support from the city,” she said.
