Two years ago, Caroline Spears was finally living on her own, roommate-free, in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, where the cost of living continues to go up. She was drawn to its affordability and space. “It was a great work-from-home spot,” Spears said. She didn’t foresee, however, the high energy bills that would result from cranking up the gas heater when her apartment would turn into an icebox in the winter. The pollution from using a gas heater was also a major concern.
Spears, founder of the Climate Cabinet, a national climate organization dedicated to winning elections, saw this challenge as a new project. So she got to it. She hired a contractor to test the apartment’s energy efficiency. Despite the evidence, Spears’ landlord wouldn’t budge. The test didn’t identify a quick fix — only a hefty renovation. Surely, she could at least improve her air quality by keeping the gas heater off and purchasing a portable heat pump, an increasingly popular device that uses electricity to move heat in and out of the home