How one Cleveland nurse got an electric reboot
When Cathy bought her 105-year-old home, she knew it needed work. Little did she know how much her life would change alongside it.
A few years shy of her 60th birthday, Cathy made a bold decision. After more than two decades as an administrative assistant she went back to school to become a nurse.
That was more than a decade ago. And in that time, Cathy’s life has undergone a steady series of radical recalibrations.
A home + life overhaul
After a career do over came a slew of electric improvements: solar panels, insulation, heat pumps, and a plug-in electric vehicle.
Cathy took advantage of federal energy credits last summer, to bring down the costs of the $14,000 whole-home heat pump system and mini splits she added to her three-story home.
Her personal life got a makeover too. She got married in the summer of 2024 and welcomed her husband — and all of his stuff — into her 1,600-square-foot vintage home.
“You’ve got home improvements and you’ve got personal improvements, and I’ve been working hard on both.”
The new heat pump transformed the couple's third floor — which used to be a sealed-off attic storage space with an unfinished wood floor and no heating or cooling. Now it's a veritable oasis with temps perfectly calibrated to protect her husband's collection of temperature-sensitive musical instruments.
“It is so comfortable up there and so cozy, and I just can’t imagine why we didn’t do something like this sooner.”
Tallying up the savings
Beyond comfort, the upgrade saved the couple a chunk of change on energy bills.
“In our first summer, the first three months, our electric bill was only like $15 because we have solar panels, and it was a very sunny summer,” she said. Even when there wasn’t as much sunlight, her bill never exceeded $70, compared to the $180 she used to pay.
“I just can't imagine why we didn't do something like this sooner,” she said. “It’s an electric dream.”
Playing the long game
Cathy’s tips for making an energy transition:
Max out financial incentives. Cathy slashed the price tag for her solar panels from $30,000 to around $14,000 by layering a 25 percent federal credit with a 15 percent discount from the Solar United Neighbors co-op.
Slow and steady wins the race. Cathy paced her installations over the course of several years. She also did the necessary prep to make sure her home was well insulated. She took on a DIY project and blew two tons of cellulose into the walls before adding new heat pumps and other systems. End result: more savings.
Build on your wins. Once Cathy had the solar panels in place, the energy they generated benefited her other appliances. For example, she never had to pay for gas once the solar panels created enough energy to fully charge her plug-in hybrid EV.
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