The small routines of life have returned for a San Francisco family after a plumbing nightmare turned their world upside down, and it’s partly thanks to a city program.
“We couldn’t live in our house from February to July,” Jolie Goorjian said. ‘So we had to go back and forth to get clothes and stuff. My mother lives in a one-bedroom flat.’
She and her son had no hot water for months because the sewer problem destroyed her gas boiler.
“To replace it with just another gas cost between $3,000 and $5,000,” she said.
But after some research, Goorjian, a teacher, discovered that an event that was working against her would actually move her forward by 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 currently running, where they will install free heat pump water heaters for eligible residents.
“This is where we are 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 their sale and installation starting in 2027.
“A large portion of San Francisco’s carbon emissions come from buildings and especially from gas water heating and gas space heating,” said Benny Zank, building carbonization coordinator at San Francisco’s environmental department. “The use of gas appliances in the home is a serious polluter, so it is very important that we can replace them with non-polluting sources.”
Electrification isn’t cheap, which is why the Climate Equity Hub hopes to help those making the transition as older devices are phased out.
“It is very important that these regulations do not harm our most vulnerable residents,” Zank said. “We are here to help and support residents and ensure this is a real benefit, both to their health and financially.”
Longtime San Francisco renter Teresa Dulalas was grateful to qualify for an electrical upgrade.
“Oh my god, we couldn’t afford it,” she said.
She is now fully on board with the mission to reduce emissions.
“Something like this, you know, it may be simple, but it will actually help you health-wise,” she said.
Since installation, she said her energy efficient water heater has already saved her money on her energy bills.
“It’s really gone down significantly,” she said.
Here’s what it takes to qualify.
- Live in a single-family home or building with four units or fewer
- The household earns 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less, which is less than $115,300 per year
- Currently using a gas-fired water heater that is more than eight years old
“These communities, our environmental justice communities in San Francisco, are the ones that have had the most pollution and the most low-income residents,” Zank said. “It is very important for health, comfort and safety to meet our emissions requirements here in the city and to prepare our residents for the upcoming regulations.”
Zank also said there are ways people who don’t qualify for the program can still save money on upgrading their systems.
“There are tax breaks, tax credits, there are rebates available, there are lots of different organizations and online resources to help you get 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 trouble.
“I work full time, I take care of my son, I’m trying to figure out how to rebuild my bathroom and storage space, so it was really a huge relief to feel that support from the city,” she said.
