In Praise of Lazy Landscaping – Garden & Gun - Garden & Gun

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Five good excuses to spend your Saturday doing something other than yard work
By Elizabeth Florio
August 19, 2022
photo: Virginie Drujon-Kippelen
Got a lawn full of clover? You’re doing it right. Put off mowing? Well done, you. “Less is more” is the mantra of Brandy Hall, the founder of Atlanta’s Shades of Green Permaculture, which builds regenerative landscapes for homes, businesses, farms, and schools. Part of a new guard of landscape designers, Hall is keenly aware of the environmental downsides of conventional practices: gas-powered lawn equipment and synthetic fertilizer that drive climate change; herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that deplete soil microbes, harm pollinators, and pollute waterways.
But while some sustainability proponents demonize turfgrass and the general ideal of a manicured yard, Hall understands the desire for a patch of well-tended greenspace. “There is something to be said about the visual organization and serenity an open space can invoke,” she says. “How do we do that in a way that’s not causing harm?”
Hall shares five ways to reduce such harm on and around your lawn, and great news, they all involve doing less.

1. Embrace a weedy lawn (it’ll be okay) 
Rare is the plot of land that caters to a single type of grass. (If yours is perfectly flat with uniform sunlight and zero tree roots, you probably don’t live in the South.) Follow Hall’s advice—and the path of least resistance—and cultivate a mixed-species lawn. “If you look to nature, you’ll rarely find a single-species anything, even a stand of trees,” she says. “Diversity is key to a happy ecosystem.”
To preserve a sense of lawn-ness, Hall suggests seeding with fescue (an evergreen perennial grass; she likes Pearl’s Premium) and allowing weeds to fill in gaps. “In an area that’s a little more moist and shady, you might have clover doing well, and in the dry part of the yard maybe it’s the fescue mix, but in both cases you have something green and alive,” she says.
If your inner Augusta National admirer is struggling to get on board, try rebranding weeds as “friends with benefits.” Hall ticks off the perks of three common Southern lawn intruders: Clover is a nitrogen fixer, which means it extracts nitrogen from the air to the benefit of surrounding plants, while dandelion and broadleaf plantain are “dynamic accumulators” that draw nutrients from deep in the soil and redistribute them. (In folk medicine, dandelion is also a liver tonic, while crushed plantain soothes insect stings; chew up a leaf and put it on the spot for a quick salve—and cookout party trick.)



2. Mow half as often
You already know that overzealous mowing can stress your grass in the heat of a Southern summer. Close-cropped lawns are also generally terrible for the environment. Gas-powered yard equipment accounts for 5 percent of all air pollution in the United States, according to the EPA. When turfgrass is shorter than three inches, Hall notes, about 85 percent of the rain runs off, taxing stormwater systems. (Yet another reason to welcome weeds to bare spots.)
Hall herself only mows once a summer but understands that may be too laissez-faire for some. Her advice: “Let it grow just a little bit. If you mow weekly, switch to biweekly. If you mow biweekly, switch to every three or four weeks. It’s still manicured; it’s not going to flower.”
Then again, if you don’t mind a few flowers in your lawn, the honeybees will thank you. (Small children like them, too.)



3. Keep your leaves 
Of all the landscaping practices Hall finds absurd, bagging leaves—which are full of stored nutrients and minerals—ranks at the top. You know the drill: “Instead of letting them decompose, we use carbon-heavy small-engine blowers to blow them into a big pile, then put them in plastic or plantation-pine-pulp bags and set them on the curb. That then gets hauled to a landfill on a big diesel truck, where it’s just going to turn into methane and cause greenhouse gasses,” she says. “Then you go to the store in spring and buy compost, which is the exact nutrients you hauled off six months ago.” 
Fix the broken loop: Let fallen leaves lie—or rake them to the side, let them decompose, and redistribute them later.



4. Hold off on “deadheading”
Another needless filler of lawn bags, according to Hall, are dead stalks and flowerheads that people tend to prune in the name of tidiness. Never mind the color and texture possibilities of dried vegetation; dead things have utility beyond aesthetics. “If we leave seed heads, that becomes forage for different types of songbirds,” she says. “Standing dead parts of a plant become a habitat in the winter for beneficial insects.”



5. Let it bloom where it’s not planted
People feel compelled to keep plants in the exact spot they were planted, Hall says—“‘Oh, it’s taking over this. It’s popping up over there.’” Perennial plants, in particular, tend to travel, especially those with runners such as black-eyed Susan, mountain mint, and strawberries. She recommends creating structure through plants like compact evergreens and bunching grasses, then letting nature take its course. “The product is plants that are thriving,” she says. And a lot more free time.
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Bayer's agriculture unit, consumer health drive outlook hike - Reuters

The logo of Bayer AG is pictured on the facade of the historical headquarters of the German pharmaceutical and chemical maker in Leverkusen, Germany, April 27, 2020. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
FRANKFURT, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Agriculture and pharmaceuticals company Bayer (BAYGn.DE) on Thursday lifted its 2022 earnings guidance on strong demand from farmers for its seeds and crop chemicals and higher sales of consumer health products.
Bayer is now targeting earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for special items, of about 13 billion euros ($13.21 billion), based on June 30 foreign exchange rates, where it had previously predicted about 12 billion euros, it said in a statement.
Bayer, which has been hit by litigation costs over claims that a weedkiller it acquired under its Monsanto takeover causes cancer, said that second-quarter adjusted EBITDA jumped 30% to 3.35 billion euros, above an average analyst estimate of 3.28 billion euros posted on the company's website.
Prices of agricultural commodities, such as corn and soy have surged globally after Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted farming and grain transport there, prompting farmers elsewhere to use more chemicals and seeds to boost output.
The crop science division, which generated the bulk of Bayer's earnings during the first half of the year, saw adjusted EBITDA surge by more than 70% to 1.75 billion euros in the second quarter, beating a market consensus of 1.56 billion euros.
By contrast, a litigation settlement and write-downs resulted in a net loss of almost 300 million euros for the quarter, where analysts had projected a net profit of about 1.5 billion, hit by special charges of 2.1 billion euros.
That included 694 million euros set aside for an expected settlement with the State of Oregon over waste water contaminated with PCB, a chemical Monsanto produced up until 1977.
Other charges included restructuring measures and write-downs on certain assets due to a strong rise in interest rates.
($1 = 0.9842 euros)
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Scientists show how electronic medical records may be used to learn more about Alzheimer's disease - National Institute on Aging

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Alzheimer's DiseaseClinical ResearchDemography
By searching thousands of electronic medical records, a team of NIA-funded researchers may have discovered key differences in pathology and clinical characteristics between men and women with Alzheimer’s disease, and also between individuals with and without this disease. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates the potential of a “big data” approach involving advanced computer algorithms.
Electronic medical records are generated during visits to health professionals and contain patient clinical data, including details such as age, medical history, medications, and results from labs and diagnostic tests. Before these records are viewed by researchers, all patient data is de-identified — a process that removes any information that could identify a patient. Investigating Alzheimer’s by using data from these records can provide information about the disease’s complexity and identify associations and sex-specific differences in diagnoses, medications, and laboratory test results. The research team — from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; and University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis — used a big data approach known as integrative deep phenotyping to help map out and analyze the electronic medical records of 44,288 people. 
Alzheimer’s is a complex condition that may be linked to several traits, risk factors, and other disorders. However, assessing the validity of these connections has been difficult. For instance, while it is known that twice as many women develop Alzheimer’s as men, attempts to determine exactly why have produced mixed results. In this study, the researchers tapped into the wealth of information provided by electronic medical records. This enabled them to search for connections in a systematic and scientifically unbiased manner.
To do this, the researchers first fed an advanced data-mapping computer algorithm all the diagnosis information from the UCSF electronic medical record data set. The algorithm then displayed patient data as clusters on a graph with similar patients’ data falling closer together. Remarkably, data from people with Alzheimer’s showed a different pattern of clustering than those without the disease. Similar results were seen when they used data from Mount Sinai’s electronic medical records. The results supported and validated the idea that this big data approach could be used to visualize and detect disease connections.
Next, the researchers used a different algorithm to search for connections between co-occurrence of different medical conditions, prescribed medications, and lab tests. Using this approach, they found several differences in data from people with Alzheimer’s. For example, in agreement with previous studies, people with Alzheimer’s were more likely than others to be diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anemia, vascular pathology, osteoporosis, or urinary tract infections. Researchers also found differences between men and women with Alzheimer’s. Namely, men appeared more likely to be diagnosed with neurological, sensory, and behavioral disorders. In contrast, women had more frequent diagnoses of arthritis, bone fractures, atrial fibrillations, and accidents.
Overall, the results support the idea that studying electronic medical records may not only help scientists assess patterns and validity of Alzheimer’s associations but also discover new ones. Ultimately, this may help researchers gain a clearer picture of the forces behind this very complex disease.
This research was supported in part by NIA grants R01AG060393, R01AG057683, RF1AG068325, and RF1AG059319.
These activities relate to NIH’s Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Research Implementation Milestones:
Reference: Tang AS, et al. Deep phenotyping of Alzheimer’s disease leveraging electronic medical records identifies sex-specific clinical associations. Nature Communications. 2022;13(1):675. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28273-0.
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Skipping Breakfast Can Affect Your Child's Health - Healthline

Intermittent fasters may want to re-think the idea of skipping breakfast. Or at least make sure their children don’t.
New research published today says eating breakfast not only provides physical benefits but psychosocial ones as well for teens.
In the study, researchers say that not only is breakfast itself important to teens, so is what they eat and where they eat it.
“Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast away from home is associated with increased likelihood of psychosocial behavioral problems in children and adolescents,” said José Francisco López-Gil, PhD, the study’s first author and a professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain.
The researchers also say certain foods and drinks are associated with higher or lower odds of psychosocial behavioral problems.
López-Gil and his team looked at data from the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey, including questions concerning breakfast habits and children’s psychosocial health, self-esteem, mood, and anxiety. Questions were answered by parents or guardians of 3,772 Spanish children between the ages of 4 and 14.
Researchers reported that eating breakfast away from home was nearly as detrimental as skipping breakfast entirely, which the team attributed to meals away from home being less nutritious.
They also found that coffee, milk, tea, chocolate, cocoa, yogurt, bread, toast, cereals, and pastries were all associated with lower chances of behavioral problems. Eggs, cheese, and ham were linked with higher risks of such issues.
The team said the availability of nutritious breakfasts at schools would likely influence the results, as would social and family support that comes during breakfast at home.
“Our findings reinforce the need to promote not only breakfast as part of a healthy lifestyle routine but also that it should be eaten at home,” López-Gil said. “Also, to prevent psychosocial health problems, a breakfast that includes dairy and/or cereals, and minimizes certain animal foods high in saturated fat/cholesterol, could help to decrease psychosocial health problems in young people.”
Katie Tomaschko, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Buffalo, New York, told Healthline that eating at home likely means healthier choices.
“More importantly, they can spend some bonding time with their family and check in before their day. This provides structure and routine and lays the foundation for healthier habits – and that is so important for growing kids and teens,” Tomaschko said.
“After sleeping all night, our bodies are dehydrated and not running on any energy provided by food,” she explained. “Skipping breakfast leads to low energy levels when we start our days. When we are feeling low energy, that affects our mood, concentration/focus, and cognitive function. Mindfully eating your breakfast is also a good psychological way to check in with yourself and prepare for your day.”
Tomaschko was skeptical, however, that eating breakfast away from home could be worse than eating nothing at all.
“But this could be that breakfast not only fuels the body but also the mind and emotional status – and having breakfast at home can kind of act like a support system to start your day,” Tomaschko said. “When kids eat away from home, they are more likely to be distracted while they eat and may be missing out on the benefits of the important social bonds that come along with sitting down and having a meal with loved ones. Food can create a bonding experience, not just fuel your body. They’re also more likely to eat more ultra-processed food (like not-so-healthy ‘grab and go’ foods). But I would still say having breakfast (anywhere) is better than no breakfast.”
Chris Tompkins, an associate psychologist with online education company Theara, told Healthline eating in a calm, safe environment can be helpful in promoting mindful eating.
“Mindful eating allows us to tune into our body’s natural hunger and fullness signals, and to appreciate and enjoy eating,” Tompkins said. “Eating more slowly and consciously aids digestion and promotes satisfaction, and being in the home environment can support this. Eating in an environment where a person feels stressed, hurried, or self-conscious, often has a detrimental impact on their eating experience, digestion, and wellbeing.”
Tompkins said low blood sugar after hours of sleeping causes “tiredness, irritability, and low mood, so from a mental health perspective it’s important to address this.”
“Teens are especially susceptible to body image issues and eating disorders,” he added. “They are under increasing pressure to look a certain way, and unrealistic body standards are being perpetuated by advertising and social media. Eating a nutritious breakfast together can help to mitigate the impact of this.”
Brandi Garza, a licensed counselor with Mindpath Health, told Healthline she saw the difference as a school counselor, asking children if they ate breakfast.
“More than half of the time the person in the chair would shrug their shoulders and shake their head no,” Garza said. “Before we progressed, I asked them if they would pick a snack and some water out of a bin in my office. When children, colleagues, or even parents visiting were emotionally dysregulated, a biological check specific to food was a great start.”
And parents being present to monitor what children eat is important, she said.
“Ask any teacher what their adolescent scholars are showing up with as ‘breakfast,’ and you will hear things like energy drinks, sodas, Starbucks, or the newest craze of flaming hot something,” Garza said. “For four years I worked at one particular school that offered free breakfast to every student. Despite this offering, most students chose to walk to the local 7-Eleven and buy preferred snacks, high quick energy, and even higher sugar content.”
Christina Meyer-Jax, RDN, nutrition chair and an assistant professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, suggested parents begin breakfast strategy the night before.
“For example, adding smoothie ingredients into the blender and putting it in the fridge; that way it’s prepared in the morning,” Meyer-Jax told Healthline. “Another example is to eat dinner leftovers for breakfast. Often our dinner meals are perfectly balanced with protein and nutrient-dense high fiber carbs. This is a much better choice than sugary cereal, pastries, or sweet granola bars.”
And for children who say they’re not hungry?
“One of the reasons people say they aren’t hungry in the morning is due to hunger pains,” Meyer-Jax noted. “In that situation, eating something small can help ease digestion and slowly fire up metabolic enzymes and hormones.“
“I recommend starting with a glass of water, then a small piece of fruit or cup of berries, thin rice cake with nut butter, string cheese, or a hard-boiled egg for protein,” she added. “For those who regularly drink coffee or tea, it’s perfectly fine to include it as part of your morning routine but adding in the water and small healthy foods helps to keep blood sugar even. Too much caffeine without food can lead to a spike in energy, but then a low blood sugar crash with jitters.”
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SC issues notice to Centre on plea for delimitation exercise in northeast - Business Standard

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Supreme Court | northeast | Ministry of Home Affairs
ANI  Last Updated at July 26, 2022 00:09 IST
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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, and Chief Election Commissioner on a plea seeking direction to conduct delimitation exercise in four northeastern states.
A bench of Justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy sought a response from the Central Ministries and others on the plea urging to conduct delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland as per the Representation of People Act, 1950.
The petition filed by the Delimitation Demand Committee said that the delimitation exercise has not been carried out for the last 51 years in these states.
These states have selectively been denied delimitation while delimitation exercises have been conducted in the rest of India, hence violating fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens of India under Article 14 of the Constitution, stated the petitioner.
The plea sought directions to constitute a Delimitation Commission in terms of the provision under the Delimitation Act, 2002 and Section 8A of the Representation of People (Amendment) Act, 1956.
The petition said that it is already been two decades since the Delimitation Act, 2002 was amended and still, no delimitation exercises have been conducted in the four north-eastern states citing law and order problems, however, since 2002, various parliamentary and state assembly elections have been conducted successfully in these states without any law and order problems cropping up.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Bobby Flay's Daughter Sophie Says It's Been 'So Lovely' Getting to Know His Girlfriend Christina Pérez - PEOPLE

Ana Calderone is the Digital Food Editor for PEOPLE. In her nine years at the brand, she's appeared as a judge on Beat Bobby Flay, traveled on the road with the late Anthony Bourdain, and hosted cooking segments for the Food Network Kitchen app. When she's not leading PEOPLE's coverage of celebrity chefs and food news, she's often baking up cake content on TikTok @ana_calderone.
Bobby Flay couldn't be happier that the two most important women in his life get along.
Bobby, 57, and his daughter Sophie Flay — who teamed up on their new Food Network show Bobby and Sophie on the Coast — spoke to PEOPLE in this week's issue about their bond, and the ones they have with each other's partner.
Bobby first went public with his girlfriend, writer Christina Pérez, in Nov. 2021, and Sophie, 26, an ABC7 community journalist, says it's been "awesome" getting to know her.
"Christina's so sweet and she's also a fellow journalist, so it's really cool to be able to learn from her too," says Sophie of Pérez, 40, who has written for Glamour, Vogue, and Lucky and more. "Her and my dad have such a sweet relationship. It's been really so lovely having her around."
Adds Bobby: "They're friends, which is really great. And I always feel like Christina can be somebody that Sophie can talk to about anything. It's really nice."
Sophie is in her own serious relationship with entrepreneur Jesse Baer. So does Dad approve?
"He's a very good kid," says Bobby. "I'm not the stereotypical, 'You better take care of my daughter.' She's an adult. I root for the person that she's dating. I want him to succeed in this relationship, for both their sakes."
It doesn't hurt that Baer is "incredibly polite and respectful and really smart," adds Bobby.
Family time for the group includes "lots of food," says Bobby. "And horse racing," adds Sophie.
(Bobby and Pérez made their debut at the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championship at Del Mar Racetrack in California, where Flay's horse Pizza Bianca finished first.)
"We like getting dressed up [for the races]. We like having fun moments, experiences, and that's one of the ways we do it," says Bobby. "And race days always involve dinner after or breakfast before. I love cooking for my friends and my family. It's really the way that I show my adoration to people. It's truly my love language."
While Sophie is "slowly learning" her way around the kitchen, Pérez loves to cook, says Bobby. "She's a very good cook. She cooks healthier than I do. She loves tofu and beans. She cooks lots of vegetables. It's influenced my cooking a lot because she doesn't eat meat. She eats fish. So I cook a lot of vegetables and fish. And she's like, 'My favorite meals are when you make a lot of vegetable and salad dishes.'"
"I'm a really good taste tester," Sophie adds of her own contribution. And she certaintly flexes that skill on Bobby and Sophie on the Coast. For three, one-hour episodes the father-daughter duo visit Los Angeles hot spots like Tartine, Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, and Bobby's favorite stop on the show: Jitlada.
"The one meal I keep thinking about is Jitlada because Jazz's flavors are so explosive and so incredibly well balanced," he says of chef Jazz Singsanong.
But no matter what they're eating, filming the show "doesn't feel like work," says Sophie. "It just feels like fun."
Bobby and Sophie on the Coast airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network and streaming now on discovery+.
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Buying a New Stove, Oven, or Dryer? Read This First. - The New York Times

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Published September 9, 2022
Rachel Wharton
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The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—the biggest climate bill in US history—will help push more Americans toward solar panels, electric vehicles, and renewable energy sources. It may also change how people cook and do laundry: The bill sets aside $4.5 billion for the first-ever federal consumer rebates on electric appliances such as ranges, ovens, cooktops, and heat-pump clothes dryers.

The High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program will help shift more people away from gas-powered home appliances, said Ari Matusiak, chief executive officer of Rewiring America, a nonprofit research and policy group focused on energy efficiency. “It really is a transformative deal,” he explained. Depending on your eligibility, the rebates could cut thousands of dollars off the cost of purchasing and installing electric appliances over the next decade.
But don’t rush to buy anything right now. Unless your range or oven just broke, you should wait until the rebates (which are state-run) become available, in mid- to late 2023. What should you do to prepare? Follow these five steps, which will help you maximize your savings when it’s time to buy.
The High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program was designed to make switching from gas to electric more economical for many people, including those who can least afford it, Matusiak said.
The IRA appliance rebates will be available to households making up to 150% of their local area median income, a number calculated every year by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (You can find your area median income with this tool.) The rebates (which can be used only once per household) should be deducted by a retailer or contractor when you buy or install your appliance, instead of requiring you to file for a refund. They could also apply to rewiring work or ventilation.
The rebates apply to the cost of an appliance, as well as to costs associated with installation. Low-income households (those making below 80% of their area median income) are potentially eligible to have 100% of their costs covered. Moderate-income households (essentially everyone else who is eligible for the rebates) are potentially eligible to get up to 50% of their costs covered.
The rebates are capped at specific dollar amounts: Those eligible could get up to $840 off the cost of an electric or induction range or cooktop, an electric oven, or an electric heat-pump clothes dryer with Energy Star approval. For installation and electrical work, the rebates cover up to $500 for contractors; up to $1,600 for insulation, air sealing, and ventilation; up to $2,500 for upgrades to your electric wiring; and up to $4,000 for an upgrade to your electric load service center (the box that holds your circuit breakers and distributes electricity from your utility).
To help people navigate the numbers, Rewiring America created a calculator to show rebate possibilities based on your household income and size, your zip code, your tax filing, and whether you own or rent your home.
The IRA’s appliance rebate programs also apply to landlords and builders of multifamily buildings where at least 50% of the residents are low- or moderate-income households, as well as to those living in US territories, such as Puerto Rico, and to federally recognized Indian tribes. If you rent your home, you may be able to ask your landlord to replace an old gas stove with an electric or induction model in the coming years, especially as more cities pass legislation that limits the installation of gas appliances.
Run by state energy offices, the rebate programs will likely take about a year to create, according to Brian Lips, an energy policy expert for the NC Clean Energy Technology Center and manager of the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). But there’s no guarantee that your state will offer the full amount or range of rebates, he said. Although the Department of Energy leads the programs, each state will have its own version. Some states could give rebates for less money to more people or offer rebates only on certain appliances, such as a heat-pump clothes dryer, all of which would be tracked by DSIRE.
If possible, hold off on buying or installing a new electric kitchen appliance until 2023—especially if you’re eligible for rebates. We don’t yet know whether states will allow for retroactive reimbursement if you purchase an electric appliance now, before the new programs debut. (It may be possible, considering that the rebates legally took effect when the bill was signed, said Whitney Potter, deputy chief of staff for Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, who was instrumental in creating the rebate programs.) So if you do need to buy an appliance now, check DSIRE for existing rebates and credits and save all of your paperwork and receipts.
Even if reimbursements come through, you should still wait. The IRA’s rebates, which apply at the time of purchase or installation, are easiest for buyers, Lips said. Because they also cover installation and electrical work, your store, installer, or contractor could potentially manage the whole process for you, including confirming your eligibility and deducting all of the rebates before you pay.
You may be tempted to wait as long as possible to use a rebate over the next decade. Matusiak and other industry experts predict that the increase in demand for electric appliances due to the IRA programs will lead to more supply and will eventually lower prices and spur creativity in the kitchen appliance industry, especially in induction electric cooktops. (We’ve found that induction models are better for cooking than traditional radiant electric versions, but they have remained more expensive, even the lowest-end models.) But Lips counsels against putting off a purchase for too many years: Even though the rebate programs are set up to last until September 30, 2031, the money allocated to each state may run out before then.
Also consider that because of current supply-chain issues and the housing boom, it’s already taking months to get appliances delivered or to find a contractor or the right materials to have work done on your home. The rebates will likely add to both the demand and the delays—another reason to begin the process sooner rather than later.
If you’re not eligible for the IRA kitchen appliance rebates, or if your state program doesn’t cover the electrical appliance you need to buy, you may have alternatives. You could still qualify for new IRA tax credits under the Energy Efficient Home Improvement credit (25C on tax forms). You may be able to deduct up to 30% of the costs for work on your electric load service center (up to $1,200).
Although eligible households can use IRA kitchen appliance rebates once, the 25C tax credits are available to most people and can be applied every year from 2023 until they expire in 2032, Potter explained. Tax credits can even be applied to the remaining costs after an IRA rebate is deducted.
You could also still qualify for other rebates from the IRA, or electric kitchen appliance rebates from your electric utility, city, or state, Lips said, adding that IRA rebates and tax credits can be layered with these alternative programs. Lips recommends checking DSIRE occasionally before you buy, whether or not you qualify for an IRA rebate or if you need to purchase an appliance before the programs begin. He also recommends talking to your accountant or making sure your tax software includes up-to-date information on the new bill.
You might also consider working on other electrification or energy-efficiency upgrades inside your home over the next decade, including adding a heat pump or insulated windows (both of which are also eligible for rebates or tax credits through the IRA). The Rewiring America calculator can give you an idea of what you might save on other purchases or home improvements.
As you research rebates and tax credits—and wait for them to kick in—take a good look at your kitchen and laundry-room appliances to determine what to upgrade first. Ask yourself some questions: How old are your appliances? Are they gas or electric? How well are they working for you? What do you need (or want) to replace first?
In addition, find out what other work you might need to do to prepare to switch to electric appliances. This work could include electrical upgrades or changes to your ventilation, and it may require speaking with an installer or contractor.
This is also a good time to get familiar with appliances that will fulfill the requirements of the IRA rebate programs. If you want to use a rebate on a clothes dryer, it must be an Energy Star–approved heat-pump clothes dryer. If you plan to buy one, consult the Energy Star product finder. (Our research has shown that electric heat-pump dryers are far more efficient than regular vented dryers. However, we haven’t fully vetted them in the past, in part because they have cost more and tended to be slower to dry clothes. We plan to test and review them more thoroughly in the near future.)
A representative for the Environmental Protection Agency told us that the agency hopes to add the Energy Star certification for induction cooktops only (not ranges) sometime in 2023, at which point you’ll need to buy an Energy Star–approved cooktop with a rebate. Before you buy, be sure to check the Energy Star product finder to see whether such models have been added.
There are many good reasons to ditch your gas cooking appliances for electric models, specifically those that heat with induction. Gas stoves have been shown to be potentially risky even with ventilation, in part because they emit benzene and methane. Induction also outperforms gas when it comes to energy efficiency: A representative from Energy Star, the energy-efficiency certification program run by the Environmental Protection Agency, told us that induction cooktops are the most efficient at transferring heat to your food, running at about 85% efficiency. Traditional radiant electric cooktops are next (75% to 80% efficiency), while gas ranges are only 32% efficient.
Our own research and testing shows that induction cooktops or stoves with an induction cooktop are safer to cook with than gas or electric stoves. It also shows that they are much better and easier to cook on than traditional electric versions, and that they are as flexible to cook on as gas stoves—if not better in some applications. (We plan to test more induction cooking appliances soon.) For this reason, we’ve concluded that our previous guidance to hang on to your gas stove for as long as it works is no longer the best advice, even if you just bought it. If you qualify for a rebate, it makes sense to begin the switch to electric models—especially induction, if possible—as soon as the rebate programs are available and you can afford the additional costs.
One reason induction cooking has taken so long to catch on with those who are accustomed to using gas is that it doesn’t emit heat or flames. Cooking over a smooth glass surface is just not the same as cranking up the gas to char a pepper or to heat a cast-iron pan until it’s smoking hot. There is a learning curve to induction, though it’s less difficult than you might expect. If you’re curious about induction but not ready to commit to a full-size induction cooktop, consider buying a portable induction cooktop, which costs less than $100 and will give you a feel for cooking on such appliances.
Rewiring America’s Matusiak said his own parents recently made the switch from gas to induction and that they were skeptical of how well it would work. “And as soon as they got it, they said, ‘Why didn’t we get this years ago? Because it’s so much better.’”
This article was edited by Ingrid Skjong and Courtney Schley.
1. Ari Matusiak, chief executive officer of Rewiring America, phone interview, August 9, 2022
2. Brian Lips, energy policy expert for the NC Clean Energy Technology Center and manager of the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), phone interview, August 12, 2022
3. Whitney Potter, deputy chief of staff for Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, email interview, August 11, 2022
4. US Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star program, email interview, August 19, 2022
5. Alicia Cafferty, vice president of government relations (North America), BSH Home Appliances Corporation, email interview, August 11, 2022
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