The electrification readiness funnel: where Michigan's population actually sits
Survey and market data reveal that Michigan residents are overwhelmingly unprepared for electrification. Each layer narrows — from gas dependency at the top to actual heat pump ownership at the bottom.
75%
MI households heat with natural gas
68%
Don't own an EV and don't plan to buy one in 5 years
61%
Would keep current HVAC system type when replacing
53%
Unfamiliar with heat pump technology
~5%
New single-family construction that is all-electric
<1%
Residential survey respondents who own a heat pump
<1%
Heat pump ownership among surveyed Michigan residents. Over half the population can't identify the technology at the center of electrification policy.
42%
Report some familiarity with heat pumps — but familiarity does not equal willingness. 61% would still choose their current system type at replacement.
"Customers generally express significant risk aversion towards full transitions towards electrification."
— NV5/Slipstream, 2025 EWR, DR, and Efficient Electrification Statewide Potential Study, Vol. V, Executive Summary. Residential interviewees showed strong preference for hybrid heat pump/gas furnace systems that maintain a fossil fuel backup rather than full electric conversion.
Sources: 75% gas heating — MPSC 2025 Annual Report, p.52. 53% HP unfamiliarity — Potential Study Vol. V, Figure 6 (n=259). 61% keep current system — Potential Study Vol. V, p.6. 68% no EV plans — Potential Study Vol. V, Figure 14 (n=330). ~5% all-electric new construction — Potential Study Vol. V, market actor interviews, p.25. <1% HP ownership — Potential Study Vol. V, Figure 6.