TinkerTry https://tinkertry.com Kirby Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:43:48 +0000 The latest updates from TinkerTry.com Free EV Load Manager for Eligible Connecticut Homeowners https://tinkertry.com/articles/stepwise-webinar articles/stepwise-webinar Mon, 18 May 2026 22:27:00 +0000

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This Innovative Energy Solutions (IES) funded pilot is happening right here in Connecticut, and was approved by PURA (Public Utilities Regulatory Authority). They will provide 100 Stepwise Tap load management devices - hardware and installation included - at no cost to qualifying homeowners in Eversource and United Illuminating territory who want to upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2 EV charging. There are no income requirements.

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Quick Take

To help Connecticut EV owners get their questions answered, the EV Club of Connecticut and PACE are co-presenting this live webinar featuring Stepwise co-founder and CEO Jane Chen along with Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Holly Lichtenfeld. It's free and open to the public.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post or video. I'm writing about this because I'm helping run this with the EV Club of Connecticut to help get the word out about this program that could really help Connecticut homeowners who've been stuck between a Level 1 outlet and a service upgrade quote they can't justify. I have no financial affiliation with Stepwise, and I don't make any commissions if you participate in the pilot or install their product.

Feel free to share this article TinkerTry.com/stepwise-webinar with your friends and neighbors, especially anyone in Connecticut trickle-charging an EV on 120V and wondering if Level 2 is worth the hassle.

I really hope you get a lot out of this article, and even more out of the live webinar or replay video. Your thoughts, stories, and questions are always appreciated here. Feel free to drop a comment below, no login required!

Webinar Details

Virtual Meeting, Tuesday May 19 2026 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET

  • Presenters: Jane Chen, co-founder and CEO, Stepwise; and Holly Lichtenfeld, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Stepwise
  • Format: Presentation followed by live Q&A
  • Hosts: EV Club of Connecticut, co-presented with PACE
  • Cost: Free
  • Register: Free Zoom registration here
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Don't live in Connecticut? You can join anyway, since this program may be rolling out to nearby states too, and the company Stepwise already has installers in 28 of the 50 states already.

Bios of Stepwise Presenters

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  • Jane Chen, CEO & Co-founder (Linkedin)
    Jane has 10 years of experience in business, electrification, and startups, where she worked across Asia and North America. She fell in love with electrification technology through working on international expansions for an EV charger manufacturer, where she saw the opportunity to do well and do good. She later ran a home EV installation platform, where she saw the deeper inefficiencies surrounding the electric panel, causing her to take action to start Stepwise. Jane studied chemistry and business operations at UPenn/ Wharton, has an MBA from MIT Sloan, and is an avid adventurer of the outdoors.
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  • Holly Lichtenfeld, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer (Linkedin)
    Holly has worked in renewable energy, sustainability, and electrification for 20+ years. She is especially interested in making sustainable solutions understandable, accessible, and growing the best solutions in the market. The start-ups that Holly has co-founded and or led as part of the executive team have gained acceptance into prestigious innovation incubators, including Idealab, IDEO, and NextEra Energy/FPL’s 35 Mules. She serves on various non-profit boards, including Solar for Women, which offers solar technical training to grow the trade workforce. She owns a 2019 Tesla and is excited to see how high the mileage can go over the coming years.

Backstory

My wife and I went all-electric on our 33-year-old Wethersfield home during the 2022 to 2024 renovation. Two EVs in the driveway, heat pumps for heating, cooling, and hot water, solar on the roof, and a SPAN smart panel that gives me eyes on every circuit. I've written plenty here at TinkerTry about that journey, and I've invested a lot of my time as one of the EV Club of Connecticut leaders talking with people who want to make similar moves in their own homes.

One of the most common conversations goes something like this: someone bought their first EV, they love it, they're tired of the 3 to 5 miles of range per hour that a regular 120V outlet delivers overnight, and they call an electrician for a Level 2 install. A few days later, they get a quote that includes a panel upgrade, or worse, a service upgrade, and the total comes back in the $3,000 to $8,000 range. At that point, a lot of folks just cancel the install and keep driving home to the 120V outlet.

Connecticut has a lot of housing stock that falls into this exact trap. 100 amp and 150 amp services are common in older homes, and once you run the NEC load calculation with an EV charger added on, the numbers often don't add up without spending real money upstream of the panel. EnergySage estimates that as many as 20% of people looking to install a Level 2 charger run into this exact constraint.

The Stepwise Tap is designed to address that exact problem, and now Connecticut has a pilot program that's giving 100 of them away. I'd been talking with Stepwise CMO Holly Lichtenfeld and fellow EV Club of CT leader Barry Kresch for a while about this, with a special thanks owed to Energy Champion Kate Klein who apparently remembers me from a BuildGreen CT event, and she reached out and made the introduction.

What the Stepwise Tap Does

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The Stepwise Tap is a UL916-listed Energy Management System made by Stepwise in Buffalo NY. It installs between the EV charger and the panel, watches total panel usage in real time, and works with any EV charger. If the household draw becomes too great, it dynamically throttles or temporarily turns off the EV charging so the panel never exceeds its safe limit.

Because it's UL916 listed, the charging load is omitted from the NEC load calculation per Article 750.30(C). In plain English, that means a licensed electrician can add the Level 2 circuit without it counting against the panel's calculated load, and without needing to upgrade your service to make it work on paper.

There are other options out there, including Thermolec/RVE's DCC-10 and the ConnectDER EV meter socket adapter, but from my research, this appears to be simpler, with an excellent reputation for the company and this product. For this post, the point is simpler: this is a real option for Connecticut homeowners, and right now there's a way to get it installed for free if you qualify.

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Click/tap to view full size detailed image, image Source - getstepwise.com

Who Qualifies for the Free Device

Based on the EV Club of CT announcement and my planning meeting with Stepwise:

  • Connecticut homeowner in Eversource or United Illuminating service territory
  • Currently in the market for a 240V Level 2 charger, or thinking of upgrading to a more powerful charger
  • You have electrical service or panel constraints that would otherwise require a costly upgrade
  • Single-family homes and multifamily properties up to 4 units
  • No income requirements (unlike the EV charger incentive)
  • Willing to enroll in the managed charging program run by Eversource and UI

A nice bonus: the managed charging program itself comes with an annual incentive of up to $120 for the base tier or $300 for the advanced tier. See the EV Club of CT's incentives page for the full description.

For folks already enrolled in managed charging through a compliant charger or vehicle telematics, the Stepwise Tap also opens up enrollment for any charger or vehicle, even ones that don't natively support managed charging today.

What's Covered, and What Isn't

Covered by the pilot:

  • Stepwise Tap device
  • Installation by a certified Connecticut electrician

Not covered:

  • Your Level 2 EV charger itself (the EVSE) and its installation

Approved Connecticut Installers

Electrical contractors must be certified to install the Stepwise Tap, and Stepwise is vetting more contractors on an ongoing basis. As of the EV Club of CT announcement on April 30 2026, these CT-licensed contractors are currently approved:

  • Jaspersohn Electric: 860-424-2230
  • Malangone Electric: 203-410-9496
  • Notchick and Sons Electric: 860-819-7335
  • Thomas Connolly Electrical: 203-521-3918
  • Mister Sparky: 646-233-7853
  • Direct Electrical Services, LLC: 860-982-7335
  • Telesco Electric: 203-297-3203
  • West Electric: 860-428-7000
  • Newington Electric - hopefully coming soon

Editor's note - If your preferred electrician isn't on this list, ask them whether they'd consider getting certified. Stepwise is actively adding installers, and a good local electrician who already knows your panel is worth the wait.

If you're already an EV Club of Connecticut member, the event is on our calendar. If you're not a member yet, you can sign up for our monthly emails here and you'll automatically get event announcements like this one. The EV Club of CT's full announcement is at evclubct.com/no-cost-smart-load-manager-pilot-program-for-ct-ev-owners.

Questions I Hope Jane and Holly Will Answer

Here's my running list of things I think our EV Club of CT audience is still going to want to know:

  • For homeowners already enrolled in Eversource's managed charging program through a compliant charger or telematics, how does adding a free Stepwise Tap change their existing arrangement?
  • Are similar pilots coming to other states in the Northeastern US, and might they be modeled after the Connecticut program.

If you have additional questions you'd like Jane or Holly to answer on the 19th, please drop them in the comments below, or reach out via the EV Club of CT. I'll make sure they get added to the list.

About Stepwise

Stepwise was founded in 2022 by Jane Chen (CEO), Austin Hunt (CTO), and Ethan Brewer (Chief Electrician). The company went through Techstars LA and Greentown Labs, then relocated to Buffalo NY as part of 43North's Year 9 cohort, winning $1 million in that program. The Stepwise Tap is manufactured in the United States, is UL916 listed, and the Connecticut pilot has been approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

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Full Webinar Audio Transcript

The captioning system started picking up audio at 19:24 with Jane explaining how the Stepwise Tap manages two chargers, and ran through 55:18 at the wrap-up. The first ~11 minutes (tech check and welcome) and a couple of mid-meeting gaps were not captured by the auto-captioning. I've done light cleanup for readability (fixing obvious errors like "stepwise tab" instead of "Stepwise Tap") but didn't rewrite every sentence. For the most accurate version, watch the video or use YouTube's built-in caption viewer.

Click/tap any timestamp below to jump to that moment in the YouTube video.

Click/tap to expand the full audio transcript

19:24 — Like, utilities are very interested in easy chargers. One thing I will just note is our device is capped out at 60 amps. So in other words, we would have to kind of slow the charge of that charger to 60 amps, but we're able to allow both chargers to access 60 amps I just wanted to add that one small caveat Understood. Okay. Great. And so this is actually a good segue. So I want to make sure that we all understand how the product works, not just the hardware itself to enable that initial install, but I really want to emphasize that this is a smart device. So, in other words, our goal is not just to help you make this one-off installation happen

20:07 — But really to allow your home to be future-proof for all of your needs down the road. And the reason we can do this is because the hardware itself allows you to instantaneously add that first appliance, it could be an EV charger or something else Once the device is installed, we're essentially collecting energy data, which becomes a true load profile for how much your house is drawing. I mentioned earlier that the electric panel is extremely dumb, and there's no visibility, and so this piece adds a lot of visibility for Planning your future in a code-compliant way. So, that means once we baseline the amount of energy your home is actually using, over time, that could become proof that you would bring to an inspector, to an installer, to add in a heat pump, to add in a water heater, and potentially any other appliance that you want to include in that. Um, it looks like… Barry? And I know, Barry, you have your hands up.

21:01 — Yeah, so I just wanted to clarify how this would work. If you have 2 chargers Can you… can you handle two chargers with one device? It's possible, yes. The way you could do that would be either attaching the Stepwise Tap to a subpanel and then connecting two different chargers to a subpanel, or you could, I mean, there are a lot of models of chargers out there that actually come with two different charging cords And so, you could just attach, like, a bigger charger that allows you to access two different charging ports at the same time. The other way you could do it is just control one and allow the other one to be prioritized. So depending on how you do the load calculation, there's a couple of different arrangements that could work.

21:51 — Does that answer your question, Barry? Yes, it does, and then I know you're going to get into this, but I I want you to talk about who you're looking for to get into the program, right? Ideally, it would be somebody who says I want to install a charger, and I don't and they know they don't have room, but as you say, the panels are dumb and people don't know what kind of room they have. And the other point you made is future proofing. So, you know, so who do you actually want to get into this pilot program Here, we're going to go over that. I think quite a few people… we'll see if we… leave anyone out. I think there's a lot of people, based on my survey at the beginning, that are gonna fit.

22:35 — Yeah. Because, yeah, you could even be… you can even be in the managed charging program right now, and we would… you would still… qualify for the program. So, a lot of good news for the… and then, like we said, you'll have it working again with the managed charging program. You'll be set up for future additions and getting this insight into your… panel. But, yeah, we'll get into that. And I also want to add that another thing is, Barry, with your question, um, the Stepwise team is really good, so… We work with electricians, we will help them on specific installations if they have questions.

23:08 — to, um, also help them to make sure that they're doing, uh, the best configuration. Although we have a lot of people now in Connecticut who have… done a bunch of them, so… All right. So, I think that we move on to answer your next question, unless there were any other questions before I get into it. Okay, so… So this program is for Connecticut EV owners. It's… gives you access to faster charging, so again, what the program does is it will install… you get our stepwise, device for free. And you get the installation. If you need a charger done, that is not included in this program. That would be…

23:55 — what you would pay for, or if you happen to qualify for some other program, that would work. But this program that we're talking about does… The load manager, and the installation of it. So you get faster EV charging, You get access to additional savings through Eversource and UI Manage Charging Programs, and the other really great thing about Stepwise is It unlocks the managed charging program for all charger brands. before this came along, it was limited to certain products. So if that was an issue getting in people's way, you now are able to access the savings that the utilities offer. Regardless of what other product you want to use.

24:36 — As Jane shared, it gives you future-proofing for additional electric appliances, You want to go get your hot tub next? We're heading into hot tub season. There you go. Um, and the other great thing is this program doesn't have an income level, threshold, so it's available to anyone regardless of their income level. So, if this is you, you're a fit for the program. I'm planning to install a charger at my home. I have a level 1 and would like to upgrade to a level 2. I have a level 2 charger, I have a level 2 charger, and I already participate in my utilities managed charging program, and there may be others that I didn't list here, and we just thought this would be a great

25:19 — Opportunity, if anyone felt that they were not included in this, that they could let us know and we could help them to evaluate if they would qualify. Is there anyone who doesn't meet one of these on the list? Maybe that's a good way to go about it? I see no hands up. Okay. Hey, Holly, I'm sorry, this is J.E. Martin. I apologize.

25:45 — No, go ahead, please. I can plug things in, and that's about it. That's about as much as I know about electricity. So Do I have to install So right now, and my charger… my charging cord is not that long, so you know I have to figure out how to do that. But Could I use your product to what you said earlier, just sort of install, I'm going to call it a dryer plug on my front porch so that I could plug in my car Does that count? Even if I don't install a quote-unquote charger, I would just use The equivalent of level one, but it would be somewhat faster than just a regular plug.

26:27 — That is a question. Jane. No, no, that is not a dumb question at all, and that is really… And if that's a dumb question, then you can say, you know that would never happen. That would never happen. You would never do that. No, no, that's all good, because, you know, it seems… less, you know, technological, we're sort of making it joined… joined the party. So, Jane, can you answer the question, though, that if it's a two…

26:47 — 40 volt, and then… the plug would be… I think it would be a faster plug, wouldn't it? I think she said she plugged into a… Yeah, so I mean Oh, sorry, go ahead, Ryan. I was gonna say, I think she said she plugged into a dryer outlet at some point, which would be 240. Well Yeah. Right? So I think she's asking, can she install an additional… 240 outlet on the outside of the house and manage it with this device, which I believe would be yes.

27:16 — Yeah, and I think I was trying to answer this earlier, JE, because you can really view the 240 volt outlet with the plug-in scored the same as a level 2 charger. It's just maybe a little bit dampened in the total amperage it draws. So, yeah, you can view it the same way in terms of how it'd be managed, and that would absolutely qualify. And as one of the perks as well, because traditionally that would not qualify for managed charging But in this case, we would not only be able to install it with our device, but you could also qualify for managed charging. No problem. Um, Andrew has a question.

27:55 — Okay, thank you. My brain is processing that, but okay, thanks. Yeah, feel free to ask again. And Andrew, go ahead. Hi. I got a question. I think what a lot of people on here are asking is if they're getting two cars, it's going to be split. If I understand this correctly, it's 60 amps.

28:07 — I'm assuming that's going to be 30 amps per car. It would, it kind of depends on how you set it up. Normally, the easiest way would be 60 amps. Like it would just be one car that is charging at a time that is prioritized over the other. If you wanted to, it could also, you know, help to split the charge between the vehicles I think the way I have seen it most commonly be done in the field is have the two chargers come off of a small sub panel that's controlled by the tap That's the cleanest way to do it because then it always ensures one is turned on over the other. If that makes sense.

28:53 — Okay, now, so basically you're prioritizing one, So, at a maximum of 60 amps per car, when that car's done, it'll then switch over to the other car a maximum of 60 amps, or what the car is asking for. Okay. No problem. So, I'd love… Andrew, what is that… what is that… That's what I wanted to know. Thank you. meet what you would want to have happen, or what's your reaction to that?

29:21 — It's an interesting product. It's a good bullet in the case for certain situations, I could totally see this happening. Um, it's not, obviously not for everybody, but for a lot of people that don't… that only have 100 amp service, and this is a key point that you guys don't actually mention, you actually have to have access to the panel. Yeah I know some people that don't have access to the panel on the other side of the house. I'm okay, how are you? And it would cost them a fortune to get that.

29:48 — Oh, no, I'm on a webinar right now Oh, Deb, can you unmute? Oops, sorry Please. Thanks. I think it's Deb, I'm not sure. Sorry. But yeah, if you have access to the panel, And, uh, you have a 100 amp service, you could save some money.

30:04 — theoretically, uh, using this product, so you can save costs, so you don't have to actually up your panel and stuff like that, it is. for certain people in certain situations, yes, I can actually see this as being a viable option for people, yes. And Andrew, your point around not accessing the panel, do you just mean if the panel is really far away from the driveway, let's say it's on the other side of the house, it would still require a lot of wiring. Exactly. I know somebody specifically that the panel is next to impossible from the garage. Hmm And for them to get it to the garage would be a fortune.

30:41 — Yeah So, but everything that you said, this shows that it needs access to the panel. So, yes, um. Hopefully, most of the people that are Uh, that would be available to this. they'll have the panel in a place that is readily accessible. To the garage. Yeah, I want to add the point earlier about the dryer outlet is actually a really good one for this use case. And this is maybe not the most aesthetic way of doing it, but there are people who face that problem where you would have to trench long distances. It's just really costly

31:13 — You can put a dryer outlet on the outside of the house, as close as you can get, and use very long extension cords to get access to the car. That is one thing I have seen. It's not the most aesthetic, but it certainly still saves a lot of money. Alright. Um, okay. So, um, we thought we would show a multi-unit.

31:38 — Um, installation. So, this, in a lot of cases, avoids big additional cost and time delays, so… and… when it's set up like this, each unit can participate in the managed charging program. So, we would probably just have to take a look at the individual one just to confirm that they could each participate. It depends on how… the system is set up. I mean, that's specific to managed charging and this program in Connecticut, but the… The system works in this situation where you have multiple units, and they want to each be able to do fast charging. And so Is that a cellular antenna I see on top there?

32:24 — It is not. It is a Wi-Fi antenna What happens if a customer doesn't have Wi-Fi? Good question. So the device works with or without Wi-Fi first and foremost as a hardware device, it is able to still independently track energy usage and control the load. With Wi-Fi, it basically just has some additional smart features like dimming the charger And tracking the energy so that you can see it on an app. It can then also receive over-the-air updates. For a lot of these types of scenarios, there is a way of setting up Wi-Fi extenders so it can reach, but again, if you don't want to go through the hassle of that, it can still work without Wi-Fi.

33:05 — Gotcha. Not that I don't know too many people without Wi-Fi, but gotta ask these questions. Of course, of course. These are great questions. And I'll just add that in this particular example, just so people can picture the use case a little bit more, this is a 20 unit building where we had installed two different taps for two different EV chargers. And the point here is that typically you Common meters or common panel, and you have individual panels in the apartment. In this case, there's a common garage with individual, kind of, meters and panels for each of the units, so you can trace back to, you know, who's paying for what. And what we did was just install the device

33:44 — off of one of those meter mains, and that way you can tie the device and the EV charger to the individual homeowner, and you could do it in a way that avoids upgrades for everybody in the building. So now each individual is just in charge of the cost of the individual project. It looks like Barry has a question. Yeah, I have. I just want to be clear about this MUD slide. So is It's saying that you can do it in this circumstance, but Are people in living in this kind of situation eligible to be part of the pilot or not?

34:30 — Yes, they are. Yes, so they they would be eligible for the pilot. The only small caveat is it depends on whether they can enroll in managed charging specifically Okay, so that And that's only because of how the utility meters are set up. Right. Okay. Thank you.

34:51 — All right. So, here's what you get if you enroll in the program. As I mentioned before, you get the stepwise tap, you get the installation, which then means you get level 2, the access to Level 2, charging without upgrading your panel. You get compatibility with any EV charger brand. And you also get eligibility for the utility-managed charging rewards program. And so the way that it works is you sign up for the program, An electrician completes the installation, and the commissioning, which is the part Andrew was asking about, the connection to Wi-Fi is what then gives you access to the managed charging program.

35:29 — Um, and then you get fast charging right away as soon as it's installed. You create the, uh, your account for managed charging, And then in November, you'll start to be enrolled in the Managed Charging Program, and the payments will commence. I would assume that if you are already in the program, you will continue to get your, um, There will be no gap. So there are a bunch of people who already are enrolled, so this gap wouldn't be relevant for you, it would be for people who aren't in the program yet. Um, what I thought would be good today is actually, Jane, do you mind um, putting the link to the sign-up in the chat? Um, and… Yes So this is all on the site, it just says you complete the enrollment form. It's pretty fast.

36:20 — You're welcome to do it tonight while we're here if you have any questions about it. You can either say what electrician you want, I'll show you the list of them. If you're an electrician that you love is not on our list, have them reach out to us. We are happy it's a short process for them, as if they're an electrician, it is not a complicated process for them to get certified. We just have to have them Um, go through a little bit of education, um, and then, so either you can say you're bringing in one, or you can ask us to connect you. with one of the electricians in the program.

36:53 — And then you go through the process that we just, um… talked about. So, as long as you're in Eversource or UI territory, and um, I think what I'll do is I'm just gonna go ahead and actually share I'm gonna switch and show the, um… The web page? The website? So, here it is, the link that… Change is put in, that's familiar now, as is this. Um, and then here's the information on how the program goes. You would just give this little bit of information.

37:25 — which utility you're in, what's your current status, And then, if you make your way all the way down, here's a list of certified installers that we have. Currently? And that's… all of the information. Did anyone have any questions about that? How long has the product been available? For almost two years in the market, we've been around for three and a half years, but the product has been in the market for almost two And we're… If there's a pro, I'm sorry.

38:02 — I was just gonna say, and it's installed in about 30 states. I think we're at 28. If somebody has an issue or a problem, do they contact you or they contact the electrician? Who's the point of contact? Should an issue arise with the unit? They contact us, I would say in most cases, a lot of homeowners will contact their electrician first, but we always then get that follow up call if the electrician can't resolve it. So we're always available for support.

38:31 — Ryan has a question. Yeah, I put it in the chat as well. Um, I have a 60 amp charger now. like I said, I'd love to go to a 100A. I know your product only does 60. With a lot of modern EVs moving to that new architecture that can charge At an 80 amp, right? Requiring a 100A circuit. Do you guys have plans to come up with something?

38:55 — that can do that? Yeah, it's a good question. We have definitely heard that from a number of folks in the market. It is on the roadmap, although I cannot necessarily guarantee when it's going to be released. And the reason is because we would have to go back through UL certification and a lot of the safety certifications that we initially went through And so that does become a bit more of an extensive kind of hurdle from a timeline perspective. So I can't guarantee it, but it is on our roadmap.

39:24 — Yeah, understood. Um… I mean, it looks awesome. I think it fits my needs, but I don't want to take up a spot you know, also limit myself to 60 amps, although I don't know if my panel can do 100 amps right now. To be honest with you, with the amount of power I draw. Right. Yeah, well Um, another question, how does solar affect this or the install at all? Because I have full solar as well.

39:50 — Yeah, good question. We have a lot of customers that also have solar in their home. And so the way it would work right now is there's a setting that allows us to pick up on the fact that there is solar so that the, you know, this device and the EV chargers are able to operate In that scenario. We do have a feature on our roadmap where we can try to time solar with EV charging, you know, in some states, especially on the West Coast, where people want to make sure they're using up the solar energy first. So that kind of timing is possible in the future And it would just be kind of a scheduling thing. For now, it works perfectly fine in homes with solar and can ensure that everything works together seamlessly.

40:30 — Got it. Yeah, time of day charging doesn't matter to me, because the… Eversource program makes you charge off hours anyways, which is at night, and there's no sun, so solar doesn't matter. Right. I figure this is a bit more of a West Coast feature. And Ryan, I was going to add to your point about having two EV chargers and having a really large charger, you could consider keeping one at 100 amps and keeping the other at slightly lower, let's say 60 amps. That way you have one that's priority over the other and you still get Both Yep, no, that's fair. Thanks, Jane.

41:06 — No problem. Barry has his hand up Yep. Yes, could you put your form back on the screen and scroll to the part Where it asks for your status So this isn't exactly the same as the other slide, right? Because if you already have a charger and you're already in managed charging So these options don't cover that. Oh, that is a good point. So you're saying if you're already in the managed charging program and you already have… uh… you're not upgrading.

41:51 — Right. I mean, if you go to the right, when you When you showed that slide with the check boxes Yep. Yes. Right? That was a scenario that was acceptable to you, but that's not reflected here. It's a good point. So, it is acceptable. We should update this, Jane, perhaps, but for people who want to sign on today,

42:11 — Um, what would you suggest? what box should we check? Just say upgrading and existing, just upgrading existing. This does not actually change your eligibility, just to be clear. This is actually a question that the utility wanted us to track so they knew What people's statuses were. I went through it, if you click upgrade an existing charger, it then asks you, as well, if you're already enrolled.

42:37 — In the managed charging, so I think… Oh, great. There you go. There we go! Fantastic. Thank you, Ryan. And sorry, this is J.E. Martin again, managed charging is something that

42:52 — The utilities, that's a program for them Yes. Or am I missing that that's what you all call your program? No, so, um, so this… that is separate, like, it's… It enables you… it's… what we're installing gives a lot of people a pathway to manage charging. Managed charging is a program offered by Eversource and UI, each of them offer it, and it, um, gives you, uh, money back. for, uh, or like a… actually, I… Jane, you may know the exact mechanism of how it goes, but you're getting basically a discount for, um, for charging, I guess, at the time of day that they would like you to charge? Jane probably knows more about this than I do.

43:34 — Yeah. Yeah, I think you get for off hours and those kinds of things. I have a friend that has that. I didn't realize what it was called, but she has Eversource and I didn't even think UI offered it. So that's good news for me Great! Oh, I'm glad that you became aware of it through this.

43:46 — And Jane, I think you said earlier that the electricity companies are the providers are interested in I assume because they want to level load sort of You know, having all of us with EVs charging at night, as Ryan noted Versus at three o'clock in the afternoon in July Is that why they offer that program Yeah, that's exactly it. Yeah, and just to offer everyone a bit more context on the program, the reason why the utilities are supporting this, and we're essentially funded by a utility program here, is because, A, they're trying to get more people access to EV charging, because they're encouraging EV adoption And secondly, for anyone who's enrolled, they want a better pathway to getting more people into managed charging, because I think they're aware that adoption rates are low, possibly because it's difficult, people don't know about it, you know, there's incompatibility, etc. So, we're looking to help define the pathway to enrollment And then I wanted to make sure, are there any other questions we didn't address in the chat? Somebody wrote, I think here in Connecticut, we have A massive duck curve issue, so I'd like to charge in the middle of the high solar day. So… I guess that's more of a comment. Yeah, and my only comment to that, Bernard, is because of the way the managed charging program is structured right now, you actually are incentivized to charge not during the middle of the day, but during their off-peak hours, which happens to be later in the day. I think in the future they will hopefully update the program to take into account what you're saying.

45:25 — But I think they're not quite that sophisticated. Well. And I would add, and Connecticut's one-to-one net metering, so it probably truly doesn't matter. There. If you're not charging during the day and you're making excess, you're metering… you're given all that credit back to Eversource, so when you charge at night, you're getting it back at the same rate anyways. That is a great point We also have an explanation of the managed charging program on the EV Club website, if anybody has any other questions, because there are two levels of participation.

45:58 — Thank you, Barry, that's great. Yeah, so, um… Also, this… That's an interesting install directly off of a meter box. Yeah, this is kind of… and also, this was to show that it works inside and outside. Do you guys do that for… for… to Andrew's point, some people may not have access to the box. Could you install that right off the meter box, or no, in Connecticut? Oh, that's what you were saying.

46:30 — It depends on… Yeah, okay, now I understand your question. Sorry, I did not understand that earlier. You can't actually, to be clear, you can't install it off of the meter. In this case, it's actually a meter main. So this is a little bit different because this Understood. individual contraption has the meter component up top, and it has a kind of a panel arrangement on the bottom. And the reason that there's a small delineation here is because the meter is owned by the utilities. You can't open it and easily get access to the meter

47:00 — So it kind of depends on the setup for the house focus on this part. And that's something we can take on a case-by-case to make sure that we can help as many people as we can. Thank you. That's a good call out Um, I already know the answer to this question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway, because I get people to ask me. Please I'm sure this is a future thing, but if somebody wants vehicle to grid, um, does that… will this, um. support vehicle-to-grid in the future.

47:35 — I think, to be honest, we don't prevent vehicle-to-grid. I think your point is that there's a lot of chargers and vehicles that are starting to open up vehicle to grid, but it's not yet widely available across a lot of models Oh, so this is just a pathway, there's no impedance, so if, uh, if you have an EVSE. and utility and everything jives up, this is not an impedance to vehicle to grid at all. Oh, cool. Okay. Correct, exactly. Yeah. So in other words, we can say we enable it today, but the reality is just a lot of people don't actually have vehicle to grid

48:04 — Well, yeah, that's, that's true too. I mean, that's, but I, I get that question every now and then. actually a little more often now, uh, the more that utilities incentivize it. Interesting Um, I get that question now, it's like, hey, uh, will this do, uh, vehicle to grid? And I was like, you gotta make sure all the pieces line up if you're gonna be able to do that, and putting this piece in the middle. If this is just a, we'll quote, pass-through piece, then, oh, that's cool, great.

48:29 — Thank you. And… Yeah, yeah, think of it as a relay, really. So it's just cutting off power, but it doesn't prevent the flow. I've seen some interesting things, Andrew. People put meter collars on? And then they put, like, a solar… generator battery in between the meter collar and a truck, and they have chargers that'll do vehicle-to-grid through that, to charge a battery, then from the battery into the meter collar.

48:58 — And that's how they're doing it. It's crazy. Cool. Cool. Sounds a little Rube Goldberg to me, but okay. It works!

49:06 — Love a good Rube Goldberg. Yeah, that's really complicated. So, um, I guess, um, If anyone has anything that they feel would be, um… getting in their way of jumping in. Please let us know. Obviously, share with people who you think would benefit from this. Um, we have a few… we… the program… we have until… Um, end of October, early November?

49:33 — to… to, um, use the units that we have through the program to get them placed in people's homes, so we would love for all of them to find happy homes. Since we feel, obviously, that this is a great way for people to manage and get more electrification going on. Um, so keep all of that in mind. This is the sign-up URL, um, if you want to scan it, which is kind of hard to do from the screen, you can do that. And it looks like Kenneth has a question. Yeah, I asked it late in the chat.

50:05 — I just want to confirm, I've got 200 amp service with a 100 amp sub panel in the garage charging two EVs off of one EVSE. So it doesn't sound like this actually provides me any benefit based on what I already have. I would say one thing I would say one thing it could do is… actually, there's two things it could do. One is, if you wanted to install a second EV charger for your home so that each car has an EV charger, that's one thing we could allow you to do. The second thing is, if you have any plans to further electrify your home And you want a true load baseline so that you can plan accordingly, the device could also open up that door so that you could do a little bit of future proofing Yeah, okay. Yeah, we already… the sub panel, the 100 amp sub panel actually has two circuits that are 50 amp each. So we've planned for two chargers, but we found we only actually need one for, we swap them between cars, so we actually don't need a second car. So okay

51:08 — All right, thank you. Yeah, no worries. And I think Holly mentioned this earlier, but this device doesn't just work for EV chargers, right? It can allow you to add any other 240 volt appliance. But just keep in mind that in the context of this presentation, we talked a lot about EV charging But this could work just as well for your hot tub, your pool heater, your heat pump, kind of you name it. Yeah, we've already got a heat pump on our system as well, so we're… I think because our service is 200 amp, it just doesn't have much benefit for us.

51:42 — Okay. Noted, noted Yeah, I mean, I'm in the… I'm in a similar boat, Ken. But I want to go to… 100 amp charger on multiple EVs, so, you know… Yep. Right basically 200 amps across… Yeah. Two EVs with a 200 amp service, that's where I think it makes sense for me. Yep.

52:02 — And Ryan, are you able to install even two 60 amp chargers right now on your current system? It'd be a… I don't know, that's the question, right? Like, I have… Yeah I'm like Ken, right? 200 amp service, 100 amp sub-panels, um, heat pumps, I'm fully electric, everything. Heating, Gas, water, you know, with solar, like, I basically have a net zero bill today. I want to go to… That's awesome.

52:32 — you know, I want to go to the 100 amp on the EV that supports it, right? It's got modern architecture, it supports 19 kilowatt charging. But then the… and my wife has fallen in love with the EV, so she… now we're shopping for a second one, and that's where I'm like… Right. I don't know if I could put that much power drawing to two cars at the same time. along with a heat pump running and everything. Yeah, because just hearing your scenario Yeah.

53:05 — Yeah, 100%. Right, because just hearing your scenario, right, a 100 amp sub panel does not add extra capacity. You're still dealing with the 200 amp capacity constraint. And if you have a heat pump, if you have a heat pump, I'm sure you have other base loads, I'm sure your house is at least average size If you have two EV chargers, there's a pretty high chance you're probably going to face the, I don't have enough capacity scenario. So I'm only putting this kind of on your radar because I think you have the perfect scenario to enable a second EV charger. If you were like Kenneth, and you absolutely only want one charger, then I would say, yeah, that's fair. I don't know that we can enable you to add

53:36 — Something else, if you're not trying to add anything else, but if you are adding a second EV charger, I think this is a great solution. Yeah, and to your point, like, I know I have load, I average probably 60 to 70 kilowatts a day. just normal when I'm charging, my daily usage is in the hundreds of kilowatts. Makes sense. Okay, so I guess, I think we're at our time. Or just about, so… Paul handed and Barry handed over to you, and just… I think we answered all of the questions, but… Um… Skimming through the chat, I think you did, but if someone did not get their question answered from the chat, this would be a great time to unmute and let us know.

54:24 — And I was gonna add, I can also put my email address in the chat. So if you think of additional questions in the future, feel free to email. I know Jeremy, you had a multifamily scenario, so if you wanted to email separately about that, happy to entertain it. So anyone can feel free to reach out Okay, so it sounds like we are ready to wrap. I'll grab this chat. I'll share it with Barry. We'll work on, we can email it out. Why not? Because sometimes people forget as soon as you close Zoom, poof goes the chat.

54:54 — No problem. And this will be on a YouTube channel for full video playback for anyone you want to share this with who might also be in Connecticut interested. So thank you again. Appreciate everyone's time tonight and thank you to Stepwise for doing this. We really appreciate it. Thank you. Really nice to meet everyone.

55:13 — Thank you, everyone. Likewise, thank you. Thanks, everybody.

Live Chat Transcript

The text chat from the Zoom session, with last names stripped for attendee privacy. Emoji-only reactions are omitted. Click/tap any timestamp to jump to that moment in the YouTube video.

Click/tap to expand the full live chat transcript

00:11:48 — Jane: Good to meet you all. Feel free to put your questions in the chat!

00:14:04 — JE: I own an EV and a hybrid

00:14:06 — Ryan: Own 1 shopping for a new one

00:14:11 — Paul: To raise your hand virtually in Zoom, just click on the React button along the bottom of your Zoom app.

00:15:23 — Bernard: Paul can you let Deborah in?

00:15:36 — Dwight: I own one EV. Plus a level two Charger

00:16:21 — Bernard: No I don’t

00:16:24 — Paul: Own 2 EVs, and both are enrolled in utilities managed charging program

00:16:47 — JE: i use level 1 for hybrid

00:16:51 — JE: only public for EV

00:17:27 — Dwight: I seldom use public chargers

00:18:01 — Bernard: Agree - apartments and condos are a tough area in CT

00:20:42 — Ryan: Sorry all. Bad service. Was on the road

00:22:19 — Daphne: I have an upgraded panel - just don’t have level 2 charger yet.

00:26:30 — JE: so my panel "as is" can charge my car via a Level 2?

00:26:30 — Paul: For reference, here's two articles about our Stepwise event, on this hot and steamy Connecticut evening:
No Cost Smart Load Manager Pilot Program for CT EV Owners
EV Club Zoom Meeting With Stepwise Electric, Co-Presented with PACE
https://evclubct.com/no-cost-smart-load-manager-pilot-program-for-ct-ev-owners/
Free EV Load Manager for Eligible Connecticut Homeowners
EV Club of CT Webinar co-presented with PACE on Tue May 19 2026 7 pm-8 pm Eastern
https://tinkertry.com/stepwise-webinar

00:31:49 — Ryan: Can someone let me in. Joining from a computer now that I’m back home

00:35:19 — Paul: Done! (sorry for the delay, juggling a few things while recording this for YouTube)

00:37:24 — Bernard: I have a level 2 and would like to put into 2 chargers - but I don’t want to ramp up my panel - I thinks that is JE’s question too

00:39:13 — Ryan: Any plans for a device that can handle 100A considering a lot of modern EV’s are moving toward that architecture

00:46:04 — Bernard: Back to multi units - say there is sufficient service for existing load to the whole building and all units. But once 1,2,3 etc residents draw level 2 charging - then there is not enough for the whole apartment complex - can you handle that?

00:46:05 — Jane: https://www.getstepwise.com/ctprogram

00:46:56 — Jane: yes, in that example we shared, putting 2 chargers in the building was going to push the building over the limits. That's why they put in the Taps so that the building as a whole did not have to upgrade its service

00:47:50 — Jane: The only limitation is the size of the building. We currently cannot work for buildings much larger than 20 units, but happy to evaluate that case by case

00:48:23 — Bernard: That is great. - thank you Jane

00:50:45 — Bernard: I think here in CT we have a massive duck curve issue - so I’d like to charge in the middle of high solar day

00:55:16 — Paul: Eversource Connecticut calls it:
Electric Vehicle Managed Charging
https://www.eversource.com/residential/save-money-energy/clean-energy-options/electric-vehicles/ev-charger-managed-charging
UI Connecticut calls it:
Residential Single-Family Managed Charging Program
https://www.uinet.com/smartenergy/electric-vehicles/programs-for-your-home/single-family-residence

00:55:23 — Bernard: I agree!

00:55:33 — Bernard: Thanks

00:56:15 — Kenneth: I have 200 A service with 100A subpanel in the garage with 1 EVSE on the subpanel and we use the 1 EVSE for 2 cars. Is there any benefit for this situation?

00:57:47 — Paul: EV Club of Connecticut's detailed page on both programs:
EV Charging Incentives
https://evclubct.com/federal-incentive-for-ev-purchase-or-lease/ev-charging-incentives/

01:02:20 — Paul: For a walk on the nerdy side, here's the details on what the Stepwise Tap device looks like on the inside, with page 9 of the Install Manual showing how it's actually wired up:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ySguuMB7Ynf2l9EMfMnZEzMaTyvV9jB3/view

01:03:56 — Bernard: Thank you

01:04:13 — Jane: jane@getstepwise.com

01:04:49 — Geremy: Thank you!

01:04:57 — JE: thanks!!!

01:05:01 — Barry: Thank you!

See also

no-cost-smart-load-manager-pilot-program-for-ct-ev-owners

See also at TinkerTry

planning-for-heat-pump-comfort

tesla-solar-roof-before-and-after-video

home-electrification-incentives

span-smart-panel-discussion
]]> Upgrading an Older Home: Heat Pumps, Air Sealing and Smart Energy with Paul Braren https://tinkertry.com/articles/hgg674 articles/hgg674 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:41:00 +0000

Jim's Article

Always fun to catch up with Jim!
the Average Guy - News, reviews, product updates and conversation, all for the Average Guy!

Home Gadget Geeks - embedded audio player

Home Gadget Geeks - article

Here's Jim's podcast announcement with extensive show notes:

upgrading-an-older-home-heat-pumps-air-sealing-and-smart-energy-hgg674

Posted on Sat March 14, 2026 by Jim Collison

Paul Braren from TinkerTry.com joins me this week to discuss energy-efficient home technology, including heat pumps, air sealing, and upgrading older homes for modern HVAC systems. They explore the real-world costs of improving home energy efficiency, the role of smart electrical panels and lithium-ion battery backups, and how modern monitoring tools help homeowners better understand their energy usage. The conversation also covers robotics, network upgrades, and the growing role of AI in everyday technology troubleshooting. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Home Gadget Geeks, Jim Collison welcomes Paul Braren, founder of TinkerTry.com and a long-time advocate for energy-efficient home technology. The conversation begins with a look at the unusually harsh winter experienced across much of the northeastern United States and how extreme weather conditions can put modern home heating systems to the test.

Paul has long been a supporter of heat pump technology and shares his real-world experiences running them through extended periods of cold temperatures. Living in a home built in 1990, he explains that many houses from that era suffer from insulation challenges and air leaks that can reduce HVAC efficiency. Before upgrading heating systems, addressing the building envelope—especially air sealing—can dramatically improve performance.

One of the key upgrades Paul discusses is AeroSeal, a process that seals duct leaks throughout the home. By reducing air leakage in ductwork and improving insulation, HVAC systems can deliver more consistent heating and cooling while reducing wasted energy. These types of improvements often provide better returns than simply replacing heating equipment alone.

Jim and Paul also explore the financial realities of home improvements aimed at reducing energy consumption. Large upgrades such as HVAC replacements, insulation improvements, and solar systems can require significant investment, so homeowners must balance short-term costs with long-term efficiency gains and comfort improvements.

Energy monitoring plays a major role in the conversation. Paul describes the benefits of installing modern smart electrical panels that allow homeowners to track energy consumption at the circuit level. This type of visibility can help identify inefficient appliances, optimize energy usage, and make better decisions when integrating solar power or battery storage systems.

The discussion expands into broader home technology topics, including networking upgrades, backup power solutions, and lithium battery systems. As homeowners increasingly rely on connected devices, maintaining reliable infrastructure—from networking equipment to power systems—becomes an important part of managing a modern smart home.

Jim and Paul also share some lighter experiences with home technology experiments, including robotic lawn mowers, electric snow blowers, and the occasional gadget mishap. These stories highlight both the promise and the occasional frustration that comes with experimenting with emerging technologies.

Toward the end of the episode, the conversation shifts to the growing role of AI in everyday life. Tools powered by artificial intelligence are increasingly being used for troubleshooting, research, and technical experimentation. Paul reflects on how AI is changing how enthusiasts learn and solve problems.

The episode concludes with a thoughtful discussion about the evolution of content creation. While traditional blogging has declined in popularity compared to video platforms and social media, Paul notes that detailed technical write-ups still serve an important role for those looking to deeply understand complex systems.

Jim ends with a section called FAQ – Heat Pumps, Home Energy Efficiency, and Smart Home Technology.

Thanks for listening!

SUBSCRIBE to the average guy mailing list.

Articles mentioned in the podcast.

heat-pump-comparison-feat-still-tbd-and-tinkertry

See also at TinkerTry

home-electrification-incentives

neevs2023signup
]]> Heat Pump Comparison & Paul Braren Interview https://tinkertry.com/articles/heat-pump-comparison-feat-still-tbd-and-tinkertry articles/heat-pump-comparison-feat-still-tbd-and-tinkertry Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:55:00 +0000

I'm was so glad when Matt asked me to squeeze in a recording comparing his (geothermal) ground source heat pump with my air source heat pumps. This was an informal conversation, and I had little idea what Matt was going to ask me, or what portions would be used. It turns out we both had a lot to say, and he kept pretty much all of it. I really hope you learn some new things you might not have thought about before.

Your thoughts, stories, and feedback are always appreciated here. Feel free to drop a comment below, no login required.

Video

See also this following week's episode, where Matt and Sean add some additional perspective on our recent conversation about heat pumps.

2026-03-13_23-41-27bluesky
I've been closely following the progress of the Wind Turbine construction out of New London Connecticut for a long time. This Bluesky thread above details why March 13 2026 was a big deal for New England, click/tap above to see the entire thread.

Matt Ferrell: Which is part of what always gets lost. When I’ve talked about solar in my house, going back to my previous house, always see comments about if you just invested that money in the stock market, you would have got a return of blah, blah, blah. As soon as you make that argument. Completely missing the point. It’s energy independence. It’s not just about money. It’s energy independence. Oil prices going up. I don’t use oil in my house. I don’t use oil in my car because my car is electric and I charge enough. Sunshine. So if gasoline prices go up again, doesn’t impact me too much other than the cost of goods and stores going up because gas has gone up. There’s reasons why going this path can make extra sense and give you that energy security because you’re, you’re generating it yourself and you’re doing it yourself. It gives you extra bonuses. When stuff like this happens in the world. It gives you a little more control over your own destiny.

See also

tinkertry-home-in-deep-snow
Overhead, there's one 200-amp electrical service line and one fiber-optic line. Underground, there's one 1" municipal water service line. That's it. No gas lines, no oil tanks. Photo taken January 27 2026, with the deepest snow accumulation since moving in 3 and a half years ago.

See also at TinkerTry

This article is closely-related to the above video, hopefully you'll find it to be very helpful!

geothermal-vs-air-source-heat-pumps-feat-undecided-and-tinkertry
heat-pump-staging
Matt-and-Paul-talk-heat-pumps
I got a little silly, having a little fun with this screenshot I grabbed during our recording.

About the author

LinkedInProfileMarch2026
Paul Braren on LinkedIn. TinkerTry.com, LLC Owner/Founder. EV Club of Connecticut Co-Leader. Sustainability Advocate.
Paul-Braren-BuildGreenCT-Member-Spotlight
Click/tap here to view Member Spotlight at BuildGreenCT

Paul Braren is an IT professional and tech blogger who covers PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency, and more. Paul has authored over 1,200 long-term technical articles and 700 videos since founding TinkerTry.com over the past 14.5 years, most recently increasing his focus on sustainability and creating EV articles and videos, along with helping the EV Club of Connecticut since purchasing his first EV in 2018.

Disclosure: I hold no stocks and never held stocks in any of the tech companies mentioned at TinkerTry, including any company mentioned in this article whose products were purchased from public sources at listed prices.

TinkerTry-Paul-Braren-all-electric-home-retrofit-overview-2025
If you happen to also be interested in a series of technical articles and more videos about all the challenges that went into ripping out our baseboard heat and natural gas lines and going all-electric, while also upgrading the windows and insulation and air-tightness using AeroBarrier, consider using the Follow links listed below.

Follow

2026-01-01_02-32-14
My all-electric home's utility entrance panel.

Read more about me here.

Follow my work at:

See also at TinkerTry

tesla-solar-roof-compared-with-solar-panels

tesla-solar-roof-before-and-after-video

span-smart-panel-discussion
]]> Geothermal vs Air Source Heat Pump: Which is Worth It? https://tinkertry.com/articles/geothermal-vs-air-source-heat-pumps-feat-undecided-and-tinkertry articles/geothermal-vs-air-source-heat-pumps-feat-undecided-and-tinkertry Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:30:00 +0000

I'm quite happy to have had the opportunity to help Matt with our second (close to) as-apples-to-apples comparison between our two all-electric homes, we really hope you get a lot of out of it. Your thoughts and feedback is always appreciated, please feel free to leave a comment below, no login required.

I really hope you get a lot out of this one too. Your thoughts, stories, and feedback are always appreciated here. Feel free to drop a comment below, no login required.

As a small and independent part-time content creator, it's hard to overstate just how grateful I am to have the opportunity to contribute to Matt's respected body of work.

Video

See also

tinkertry-home-in-deep-snow
Overhead, there's one 200-amp electrical service line and one fiber-optic line. Underground, there's one 1" municipal water service line. That's it. No gas lines, no oil tanks. Photo taken January 27 2026, with the deepest snow accumulation since moving in 3 and a half years ago.

See also at TinkerTry

This article is closely-related to the above video, hopefully you'll find it to be very helpful!

heat-pump-staging
Matt-and-Paul-talk-heat-pumps

About the author

LinkedInProfileMarch2026
Paul Braren on LinkedIn. TinkerTry.com, LLC Owner/Founder. EV Club of Connecticut Co-Leader. Sustainability Advocate.
Paul-Braren-BuildGreenCT-Member-Spotlight
Click/tap here to view Member Spotlight at BuildGreenCT

Paul Braren is an IT professional and tech blogger who covers PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency, and more. Paul has authored over 1,200 long-term technical articles and 700 videos since founding TinkerTry.com over the past 14.5 years, most recently increasing his focus on sustainability and creating EV articles and videos, along with helping the EV Club of Connecticut since purchasing his first EV in 2018.

Disclosure: I hold no stocks and never held stocks in any of the tech companies mentioned at TinkerTry, including any company mentioned in this article whose products were purchased from public sources at listed prices.

TinkerTry-Paul-Braren-all-electric-home-retrofit-overview-2025
If you happen to also be interested in a series of technical articles and more videos about all the challenges that went into ripping out our baseboard heat and natural gas lines and going all-electric, while also upgrading the windows and insulation and air-tightness using AeroBarrier, consider using the Follow links listed below.

Follow

2026-01-01_02-32-14
My all-electric home's utility entrance panel.

Read more about me here.

Follow my work at:

See also at TinkerTry

tesla-solar-roof-compared-with-solar-panels

tesla-solar-roof-before-and-after-video

span-smart-panel-discussion
]]> Insights That'll Help You and Your Contractor Plan for Comfort https://tinkertry.com/articles/planning-for-heat-pump-comfort articles/planning-for-heat-pump-comfort Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:33:00 +0000

This article is currently in draft form, revisions will be frequent these first few days. If you prefer videos over lots of words, you can jump right to them below.

I really hope you get a lot out of this article. Your thoughts, stories, and feedback are always appreciated here. Feel free to drop a comment below, no login required.

Introduction

My wife and I took on the task of converting from gas to electric for our just-purchased "forever home" back in 2022. It was a 32-year-old, 1,856 sq. ft. house in need of a new roof, some remodeling, and major energy-efficiency upgrades including new windows. The massive supply chain and labor shortages at that time made the HVAC portion a much bigger challenge than it should have been. The impediments were plentiful during our mission to have net-zero annual energy costs for our daily living and transportation needs, but by winter #4 here, we got there.

The list of considerations below should be helpful in making your heat pump ambitions a reality by advancing your understanding of what living in an all-electric, forced-air heated and cooled home is actually like. There are so many things to look out for, but once you know them, your odds of successfully achieving comfort are greatly improved.

TinkerTry-Paul-Braren-all-electric-home-retrofit-overview-2025
If you happen to also be interested in a series of technical articles and more videos about all the challenges that went into ripping out our baseboard heat and natural gas lines and going all-electric, while also upgrading the windows and insulation and air-tightness using AeroBarrier, consider using the Follow links listed below.

Editor's note - this winter in Connecticut has featured many record-setting single-digit Fahrenheit days and nights so far, and I'm writing this in the midst of our second big snowstorm this winter. I'm electric snowblowing frequently to barely keep on top of this 2" to 3" of wet snow per hour. Breaks consist of warming up, drying off, and recharging my Ego batteries in my comfy heat-pump-heated, battery-backed-up home. In times like this, I'm glad I've taken great efforts to reduce the chances of frozen pipes and flooding, even if I'm not home, and even if the internet goes down.

Table of Contents

Paul-Braren-BuildGreenCT-Member-Spotlight
Click/tap here to view Member Spotlight at BuildGreenCT

Backstory

Matt-and-Paul-talk-heat-pumps
Click/tap here to view Matt's latest videos, with our full conversation as seen above planned for release in early March.

We were transforming the home from a gas-fired hydronic heating system with baseboard water heat, over to all-electric. It was a daunting task — our contractor had just three weeks before we moved in to get it right, and there was no going back. The plan was to rip out all baseboards and all natural gas lines, and even the gas meter. By the way, "natural gas" is methane, aka dino gas, and part of the goal was to stop burning stuff for

I've learned a lot through acting as both project planner and project manager for this electrification process, and I learned a whole lot more living with heat pump-based heating and cooling in the four winters since making the switch away from burning stuff.

This article is intended to be a list of things to be aware of, things I wish I knew about back in the summer of 2022 when our offer on the house was accepted, with planning for the September 15 closing and October 1st move-in really began. This necessitated a speedy search for the best options and long-term economic viability for going all-electric in our New England climate. Back then, web searches for this kind of real-world information turned up nothing — it was crickets — and the few articles or videos I could find would have maybe a handful of considerations, tips, and gotchas at most.

This article hopefully remedies that, and these firsthand learnings are most applicable to others in cold climates looking to do the same sort of renovation. It will be particularly relevant if you have objectives similar to ours, which were:

  • Non-proprietary thermostats in each room that needed individual temperature control (we went with 5 Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premiums)

  • Good efficiency, especially in the coldest of winter cold spells

  • Good comfort, with ceiling ducts that allowed much more flexibility with furniture placement than baseboards ever did

  • Forced air that would allow proper humidification and dehumidification — we were tired of filling and maintaining console humidifiers every day in the winter

  • Proper "stuffy-ness" mitigation - an Energy Recover Ventilator for air that feels fresh and is fresh (and filtered) all year long

For us, the Bosch IDS 2.0 system was the best (and only viable and available) option at the time. How bad were things? A Mitsubishi heat pump was on a 10-month order backlog. Since 2022, a lot has changed for the better as far as cold weather heat pump technology. For example, newer Bosch system designed for even colder climates is the IDS Ultra - Inverter Ducted Split Cold Climate Heat Pump, So no, don't buy an IDS 2.0 system today — that's just a contractor trying to offload old inventory of an older system that uses the old refrigerant they're used to. It will cost you in the end, not them, in as little as just one winter.

This article is focused on air source heat pumps, the kind most people are referring to when they just say "heat pumps." These HVAC systems consist of an outdoor unit that looks a lot like an AC unit (but the heat pump inside can cool or heat). It's paired with a matching indoor blower (air handler).

Note, there are also ground source heat pumps (aka geothermal) that get their energy from the ground, and Matt Ferrell and I spent some time recently comparing and contrasting these types in a (soon to be published) video on Undecided with Matt Ferrell. Some heat pumps output hot water instead of hot air — those are called air-to-water heat pumps.

My wife and I wanted centralized control of humidity year-round, so that ruled out any kind of air-to-water heat pump that could have heated the water in our existing hydronic/baseboards instead of the ancient gas furnace — and that would have been a lot simpler to install. But losing whole-home humidification/dehumidification/filtration capabilities ruled that type out quickly for us, as did our desire for individual room temperature controls.

With that quick overview of the types of heat pumps used for homes, you can now better understand that most of this list of items below applies to both air source and ground source heat pump systems.

TINKERTRY'S HEAT PUMP THINGS TO KNOW

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Before You Go Choose the Best Solution for You

Think of this as a DeMuro-esque quirks and features rundown, but for heat pumps. First-hand lessons meant to boost your knowledge and ease your trepidation.

Feedback or ideas are always appreciated, so please feel free to comment below — it's easy, with no login required!

Specify a Cold Weather Heat Pump

The #1 thing to know first and foremost is this:

If the part of the US you live in gets below freezing and this will be your only source of heat, don't let anybody sell you on a system not designed for cold climates.

  • Even if you live in a part of the US that doesn't get too cold that often. They've played their hand already - they clearly have their interests in mind, not yours, and you don't want to continue with them if that's their mindset.

  • If your contractor gives you a quote for a system that will work but relies on resistive heat for anything below 40°F outside to actually keep the house comfy, any savings on that non-cold-climate heat pump can quickly be burned away. Ask me how I know. ;)

Ductwork & Retrofit Challenges

  • If the home's ductwork was designed for AC only, it's likely very undersized for heating (~25°F delta in summer vs ~75°F in winter) unless the home's efficiency has also been dramatically improved.

  • In my region of the country, AC-only ductwork is unlikely to have supply registers in outside-wall walk-in closets or bathrooms — unlike with AC, if you're also heating with forced air, those supplies are often required by code, and a good idea to help avoid frozen pipes.

  • Best to have both supplies (vents) and a return (grill) in each inhabited room, so that temperature can be maintained whether the door is undercut or not. This way, you can be assured that the room will stay comfortable whether or not you leave the door opened or closed. Having returns in each room may also be required to meet code, especially if the system is handling both heating and cooling.

  • If the home lacks returns in each bedroom and living space, you're now looking at a complete rip-and-replace duct design which can be extremely difficult on existing homes (especially multi-level, or without full basements/attics). Lucky for my situation, we're in a one story with a full basement and easily accessible attic, but it was a lot of labor cost to have all new ductwork installed, replacing some tiny AC-only ductwork consisting of supply vents only, and one centralized return.

Ductwork Location

  • If at all possible, locate all your ductwork and air handlers inside your conditioned space. If your contractor seems uncomfortable or surprised by this request, you may want to run away. If it's simply not possible, the contractor must add a lot of insulation material and labor to cover all plenums, ducts, returns, and air handlers with at least R12. I'm finding my R8 flex insufficient, so I'll be working around this using foam board and extra blown-in insulation above the flex.

  • For retrofits, converting unconditioned space into conditioned space for the new equipement isn't always viable. It requires considerable extra cost and expertise to transform an existing New England attic — typically unconditioned — into conditioned space. You need absolute assurance that the transformation won't lead to trapped moisture under closed cell foam for example, a scenario that can cause extensive roof decking rot before you're even aware of it. That significant prep work would need to be completed before your HVAC contractor gets started, and it may involve passive ventilation changes as well, with changing to soffit vents, gable vents, and/or ridge vents.

  • Getting this unconditioned-to-conditioned ventilation right will save you tens of thousands over the years, getting it wrong could cost you dearly. Note that many cold-climate air handler manufacturers state that the unit must be insulated if installed in unconditioned space, same goes for humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

  • I didn't have much choice in my circumstance for a variety of logistical reasons. I've ocme up with freeze-proof condensate lines that I don't need to winterize to get around this, along with blankets to increase insulation around units that need periodic service such as the air handler. My attic ranges from roughly 35°F to 100°F for 99% of the year, which was and continues to be a huge challenge. During more extreme conditions, I can measure between 7°F and 15°F of temperature loss from my air handler to my registers — that's a lot of energy wasted heating the outdoors. Remediating that has been a multi-year, ongoing effort, and when no air is blowing through the ducts for a while, it's not great to have a purge of cold air felt at the start of every heating cycle.

  • We had significant personal circumstances that tightened our timeframe for finding an experienced contractor, compounded by the severe labor shortage at that time. All construction needed to be completed in just three weeks after our home purchase closed, since that's when our prior home's sale closed. Other factors were at play too — the cost and risk of drilling through irreplaceable original floor tile to install a lot of new supply vents coming up from our unconditioned basement was a big barrier. We also had some very tight budget constraints as well. So, we went with installing in unconditioned attic space that our particular contractor was most comfortable with. We have a long term plan to mitigate the effects over time, using a lot of my own labor. It's unfortunate, but at least you're reading that and hopefully are now more aware of how important this ductwork decision truly is.

Proper Planning is Crucial

Moving from gas/oil to electric probably isn't going to be a spontaneous decision made under duress, such as when your old furnace fails at 2am at 0°)F outside, when the temptation is high to simply replace it with another similar unit. Now you're stuck with that decision for decades.

Much better to have the discussion and to get multiple bids when HVAC contractors might be a little less busy, perhaps in early spring or early fall.

Proper Installation is Crucial

Just like Matt emphasizes in our collaborative videos, we both feel quite strongly about how crucial the quality of the installation is. You will want to have multiple bids

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Click/tap to read article at Wirecutter

  • More qualified installers exist than for geothermal, at least in Connecticut — but most are experienced with traditional refrigerants (R-410A, R-22) being phased out. New refrigerants (R-32 for Daikin, R-454B for the rest) have lower GWP and significantly better COP for New England winters. Finding someone who's done several of these newer installs may be harder for a while, and HVAC contractors who design systems from scratch (including ductwork) are in short supply.

  • My HVAC contractor never connected signal wires from heat pumps to air handlers for AUX during defrost — a critical wiring omission discovered years after install.

  • The US HVAC industry is "ripe for disruption" — in desperate need of bundled solutions (like Octopus Energy) so contractors can profit AND deliver happy customers.

  • Finding a contractor comfortable designing a system from scratch with homeowner input is rare.

  • The NYT Wirecutter article on underqualified installers giving heat pumps a bad name is very relevant:

Defrost Mode May Be Needed often

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Click/tap to view Reddit thread.
  • Check out this Reddit thread, just one of many such discussions where the happy and the sad Bosch customers all have the same hardware, but are experiencing wildly different ownership experiences.

Indoor and Outdoor Units are Usually a Matched Pair

  • In other words, not only must the brand match, but most likely the two need to be made to work with one another. Keep this in mind when budgeting, and note that when it's time to replace one, you're likely replacing the other as well.

  • One nice thing about the Bosch IDS system in particular is that it has a unique ability to vary speeds of the compressor as well as the 2-speed air handler, without a proprietary thermostat requirement that Carrier, Daikin, and others require, and this works out particularly well for multi-zoned homes like mine.

Heat Pump Location

Location, location, location, it matters where you place your heat pump. If you have a heat pump that has the fan on top:

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This is what can happen if you have a gutter leaking straight into a regular, non-cold-weather heat pump. The top grill assembly of the heat pump is shown here, flipped upside down, revealing thick ice accumulation that was slowing airflow and straining the motor.
  • Be sure there aren't any roofing drip edges or leaking gutters above your heat pump.

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  • Be sure that any ice or snow that slides off your roof won't cram right into that fan, something I ran into my first winter. This was easily remedied with two Snow Cover Model RE29G from Innopro, no longer available from Amazon's original listing, so I'm looking into other sources for US customers for these snow lids / snow caps / snow roofs.
    bosch-heat-pump-with-no-snow-caps-near-a-avalanches-of-roof-snow-is-bad
    How not to install heat pumps. My first contractor didn't use high enough pedestals, so in this photo you can see at least 25% of the condensor coil is buried. They also didn't consider snow and ice avalanches from my roof when positioning the units, further degrading performance by impeding air flow and placing additional strain on the fan motor. They also didn't properly cover and protect the lineset from UV damage. All of these issues have since been resolved.
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My heat pump fans are now protected from avalanches of snow and ice that regularly slide down my roof directly onto my heat pumps.
  • Now imagine if your heat pumps are near a two-story-high roof. The potential for damage becomes even more significant. These kinds of issues tend to crop up at the most inconvenient and expensive time of year for emergency repairs. Better to be proactive.

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Click/tap to view Mitsubishi Electric H2i plus models that were released in 2024, and provide 100% heating capacity and year-round comfort even when outdoor temperatures drop to -10°F.

  • Mitsubishi, Daiken, and many others offer horizontal airflow designs that avoid the need for snow lids.

  • Don't let your contractor mount the heat pump directly to your home, there will likely be a resonanance in the nearby room that will be bothersome, especially in the winter when the heat pump has to work much harder, and makes a variety of sounds when handling defrost cycles for 8 to 10 minutes several times a night whenever it's both cold and very humid outside.

Noise & Comfort

  • For the outdoor heat pump, dB measurements from marketing materials may list the average noise annually or during the summer, but during winter, especially during defrost, the noise and vibration can be significantly more (~75°F difference in temps), something to keep in mind for neighbors and nearby bedrooms. Newer designs tend to be quieter. Mine are located 30" from the house, and toward the back edge of the home to avoid reverbaration that would have been evident had I gone with a location between my home and the parallel home next door just 90' away.

  • For air handlers with dual or variable speed blowers, the lower speeds may be whisper quiet, but the higher speeds for faster temperature changes can be noisier, especially if it's a zone system where only one room needs heating or cooling.

  • Avoiding setbacks is preferred (only 1°F less in 2 bedrooms overnight) because low blower speed is very quiet, and recovery from setbacks triggers louder/costlier high-speed operation.

Defrost Cycles & Resistive Heat

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Our Bosch IDS 2.0 Heat Pumps got a little too icy at the factory default jumper settings and unusually deep snow. Once snow was cleared and the jumpers were adjusted, they both defrosted just fine.

  • During cold snaps, it's typical for my Bosch unit to require a defrost cycle 5 or 10 times in a single day, and each of those times requires about 5 to 10 minutes of AUX (resistive heat strip) heating by the air handler to avoid the discomfort of the AC blowing cold air.

  • The heat pumps control when the defrost cycle is needed, and the homeowner's thermostats have no ability to override that.

  • A relay installation is needed to signal the air handler to fire AUX during heat-pump-controlled defrost (AC) mode — my contractor never wired this.

  • You want both heat pump and resistive heat working simultaneously (the heat pump turns itself off at -15°F to protect itself), a setting found in Ecobee thermostats and zone damper controllers.

System Testing Before Final Payment

  • Many thermostats and zone damper controllers have test modes. Since HVAC is often installed during warmer weather, you should see if your contractor is willing to do a system function before they consider the project done, and before you make final payment. If this seems to cause them worry, you should worry.

  • For example, Ecobee thermostats make this pretty easy, see How to Test Your HVAC System with the ecobee Thermostat and on the Smart Thermostat Premium model, I'm able to self-test Stage 1, Stage 2, and AUX heating modes quite easily, but caution is warranted as the usual time-out periods between such modes are not enforced. It's far better to have your contractor demonstrate to you that all of these vital functions, giving you some piece of mind hat you won't be in for a surprise your first cold night.

Sizing, Efficiency & Humidity

  • That 3x difference in power use is reflected in energy use, with a properly sized heat pump being chosen for the worst winter cold snap, which also means it'll tend to be oversized for summer, and less able to remove humidity — especially true for high efficiency / high SEER designs.

  • This led to spending another $5K on a whole-home, independently ducted dehumidifier.

Equipment Lifespan & Replacement

  • Heat pump compressors generally have a shorter lifespan than their geothermal counterparts.

  • When the heat pump is replaced, typically you'll need a new, paired air handler to go with it, and potentially new proprietary thermostat(s).

Cold Weather Comfort & Staging

  • It's inherently trickier to maintain perfect comfort during long cold snaps. It's the winter where the math really matters — avoiding AUX / heat strip resistive heat as much as the system will allow. That's where the real attention is needed the winter after the install, getting the cut-over figured out where you're right at the edge of getting uncomfortable for those coldest nights (drop 1°, stage 1; drop 2°, stage 2 faster blower; drop 3°, AUX).

  • In reality, our bedroom never drops to AUX and rarely needs stage 2 even in recent extreme weather — it's some of the bigger rooms or windowed sunroom that drop to AUX briefly while we're sleeping. So it worked out fine, mostly, barely.

  • Some brands like Carrier handle variable compressor and variable air handler speeds and staging automatically via proprietary communicating thermostats, with less temperature droop — but they're much more expensive (quoted $130K by same contractor in 2022).

Refrigerants & Future-Proofing

  • Insist on the very latest models marketed for extreme cold temps — some contractors will try to sell old R-410A inventory that's no longer manufactured, costing more long-term.

  • New refrigerants (R-454B, basically propane-based) offer significantly better COP in cold climates than R-410A.

  • The Bosch IDS 2.0 has higher COP than the newer Bosch Ultra only at warmer temps — winter performance is where the newer unit wins hands-down, which is exactly when it matters most. So when some spec pages says the COP rating, be sure to ask what is the COP at 0°F too. Then you'll have a sense of hard the syset will struggle during single digit or below zero nights.

  • Our 2 BOVB-36HDN1-M20G (3 TON) heat pumps are right-sized for winter, but oversized for summer, providing inadequate dehumidification. So I manually kill power, then move a DIP switch in each heat pump electric panel to make both units "pretend" to be 2 Ton during the summer months. While this is not ideal, the lesson here is to be sure your contractor is sizing is appropriate to handle the coldest weather where you live without a lot of resisitive heat strip use. But this could mean you'll also need a supplemental dehumidification for those "shoulder months" in spring and fall where neither heating or cooling is needed very much at all.

System Tuning & Optimization

  • Proper Ecobee threshold settings are critical — TSS Associates developed a guide based on their experience at my house, see all their Bosch guides here. I originally had 2 Honeywell HZ432 Zone Damper Controls, seen in their wiring diagram.

  • AI (Claude, Perplexity) helped significantly with tuning the system to minimize resistive heat usage — but AI struggled to read the zone controller manual correctly.

  • After fixing the AUX+heat pump simultaneous operation bug, the first cold night (5°F) showed under 10 minutes of AUX mode (10,000W) — I expect significantly lower costs next winter.

  • The zone controller manual (EWC Controls) is difficult for both humans and AI to interpret.

Home Envelope & Insulation

  • Matt's geothermal system advantage is ~90% attributable to R-value and air tightness — a "one-two combo punch."

  • My 1990 home went from 8 ACH to 0.8 ACH via AeroBarrier, which then necessitated ERVs.

  • Tying ERVs into air handlers is something I regret — worth explaining why.

Energy Use & Cost Realities

  • My 12,571 kWh for HVAC vs Matt's 2,393 kWh geothermal is roughly a 5:1 ratio.

  • At $0.30/kWh, that's ~$3,771/yr (air source) vs ~$718/yr (geothermal).

  • New England air source heat pump energy use of 10k–15k kWh/year is the typical range.

  • The "spark gap" — electricity costs vs gas costs — makes things especially rough in New England for anyone not willing to insulate and add solar.

  • Every customer who eliminates their gas bill gets a corresponding increase in their electric bill.

  • Both solar and battery storage significantly offset actual costs ("free sunshine").

Cost Breakdown & Payback

  • My total HVAC cost was ~$61,542 (HVAC $59,732 + electrician $1,810), later revised to ~$69,000 including the ERV.

  • Matt's geothermal was ~$100K before incentives, ~$75K after the 30% federal tax rebate.

  • Stripping out ductwork brings it to roughly $48K (mine) vs $54K (Matt's) for a system-only comparison.

  • Matt's payback vs my operating costs works out to ~2 years for the geothermal premium.

Heat Pump Water Heaters

  • I've owned 3 different heat pump water heaters in 6.5 years, they've each had some challenges, see my articles on Rheem here.

  • They cool the basement (my unfinished basement is 53°F in winter).

  • A recirculatory pump reduces efficiency significantly — COP drops to around 2 in winter.

  • Alternative designs exist that don't cool basements (see the Ask This Old House segment).

Regional Observations

  • In Tennessee, electric rates around ~11.5¢/kWh make heat pumps very common with plenty of experienced contractors.

  • Air handlers in unconditioned spaces and uninsulated air handlers are common in the South despite manufacturer recommendations against both.

  • Some southern heat pumps lack defrost cycles entirely — the thermostat just calls for resistive heat when temps drop (cheaper upfront, costlier long-term).

Policy, Grid & the Bigger Picture

  • Cheaper off-peak Eversource pricing would be a big step.

  • Offshore wind power for winter cold snaps is crucial for the energy transition.

  • Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) via EnergyHub/Eversource are relevant but a separate topic.

  • CO₂-based ground-source heat pumps have been validated at 87% efficiency even at -15°F (Dalrada/Oak Ridge National Lab study).

Data & Monitoring

  • The SPAN app only retains ~1 year of data — export regularly.

  • Home Assistant integration with SPAN had issues and limited data capture.

  • Having your spouse on the SPAN app creates accountability during expensive resistive heat sessions.

ERV with a Heat Pump

CERV2-is-a-ERV-with-a-heat-pump
Click/tap on the image to read the full brochure that explains the many intelligent operating modes of the CERV2, including handling heavy outdoor smoke days which are increasingly common from Canadian wildfires.

Both Matt Ferrell and I regret having our ERV share the ductwork with our HVAC system.

I'm hoping to avoid having to add a (resistive/ineficient) heat booster to the fresh air that my Carrier ERVCRLHB1200 ERV currently delivers, which regularly gets well below room temperature during below freezing conditions outdoors. This is especially uncomfortable if it's pulling in outside air when heat isn't also being called for, and orchestrating my way around that with Home Assistant automations has proven difficult.

I have my eye on the company Build Equinox because of their unique CERV2. It's a combination of an ERV with a heat pump instead of resisitive heat, providinig fully conditioned fresh air handle even during extreme cold conditions:

If you own a CERV2, please leave a comment below or email me, I'd love to hear from you!

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Click/tap to view the full CERV2 document.

Video

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Click/tap here to view on Patreon. This video went live on Patreon only on Jan 23 2026, for Matt's Patreon Members Only. It was then released on his Undecided with Matt Ferrell YouTube Channel, for all to view and comment upon. I sure to get a lot of grief for the ductwork in the unconditioned attic, a chilly reality for most homes here in Connecticut, and I'm still working on mitigating the impact.

About the author

LinkedInProfileMarch2026
Paul Braren on LinkedIn. TinkerTry.com, LLC Owner/Founder. EV Club of Connecticut Co-Leader. Sustainability Advocate.
Paul-Braren-BuildGreenCT-Member-Spotlight
Click/tap to visit the Member Spotlight at BuildGreenCT

Paul Braren is an IT professional and tech blogger who covers PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency, and more. Paul has authored over 1,200 long-term technical articles and 700 videos since founding TinkerTry.com over the past 14.5 years, most recently increasing his focus on sustainability and creating EV articles and videos, along with helping the EV Club of Connecticut since purchasing his first EV in 2018.

Disclosure: I hold no stocks and never held stocks in any of the tech companies mentioned at TinkerTry, including any company mentioned in this article whose products were purchased from public sources at listed prices.

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