The Eco-Friendly Option that Could Save Your Production Thousands

While often overlooked, the home appliances showcased on screen play a crucial role in shaping both the story and the world we live in—impacting everything from the environment to your production’s budget. Whether it's a sleek induction stove at the center of the story or an electric dryer tucked in the background, the choices you make on screen can drive big savings and help elevate your production’s aesthetic, all while making a meaningful contribution to the fight against climate change.

And after consulting and collaborating with hundreds of production professionals in recent years, it’s clear that too many people are missing out on big savings and an easy way to make their productions better.

In the United States, 42% of energy-related carbon emissions come from household decisions. This boils down to five major choices: how we cook our food, what we use for transportation, how we get our electricity, how we heat our homes and water, and how we dry our clothes. You have the power to choose more eco-friendly options like induction or electric stoves, electric vehicles, solar panels, heat pumps, and electric dryers. These machines cut carbon emissions and offer Americans a way to save money, improve health outcomes, and build stronger communities.

It’s also what audiences want to see on screen. Researchers have found that 70% of TV and film viewers say they want more climate-friendly actions in their entertainment.

What we see on screen can lead to major behavior change. In 1988, the Center for Health Communication (CHC) launched a campaign to introduce and popularize the concept of a “designated driver” through mass media that involved all major Hollywood studios and the ABC, CBS, and NBC television networks. More than 160 prime-time programs participated, foregrounding and backgrounding the concept in on screen content including incorporating it in “sub-plots, scenes, and dialogue on the subject, including frequent references to the use of designated drivers.” In 1988, annual alcohol-related traffic fatalities stood at 23,626. Just six years later, in 1994, fatalities had declined by 30%.

We’ve seen similar social change with on screen content influencing declines in teen pregnancy and overcoming homophobia. 

Today, there’s a big change that households can make to improve their lives and help the planet: going electric with all appliances in their homes (and the car in the driveway). The trouble is, far too few people are familiar with these machines and know how powerful the change could be.

If you based your entire understanding of the American household off popular television and film, you might think the vast majority of homes use gas to cook. But an EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey showed that for households with a cooking range, about 66 million households use an electric range, compared to about 35 million using gas ranges. To help our stories reflect our world better — and to point the way towards a better future in our homes — we need to show more electric and induction stoves on screen.

This is a surefire way to create more appealing shots as well. The sleek and modern designs of new electric appliances pair state-of-the-art technology with a dynamic visual. (And if you’re shooting a period piece or depicting lower-income folks, there are great electric options from recent decades that can tell those stories, too.)

Take induction stoves, the most common electric appliance we’ve helped productions show on screen. With smooth, flat surfaces, induction cooktops offer a minimalist, contemporary look. Clean and simple, with no visible burners or grates, these stoves also include lighting effects and visual indicators that add illumination with a touch of sophistication. Their smooth and even glossy surfaces look polished and refined and can give the stove a more premium, high-end feel. The lack of exposed elements like open flames or large coils can make the induction stove less busy visually, helping it blend seamlessly into modern kitchens. It allows for other design elements, like countertops or backsplashes, to stand out.

The same goes for other electric appliances like heat pumps (which are getting more stylish by the day) and even electric lawn equipment (which are sleeker, quieter, and cleaner than the gas versions). The greatest innovation in home appliance design is electric — offering you an unmatched opportunity to improve aesthetics.

This is all great, but how does it save your production money?

Last year, Electric Creatives was launched to help you do exactly that. They have helped TV and film productions of all sizes identify discounts, incentives, and partnerships to make showing electric appliances on screen a cost-saving strategy. They have made electric appliances the most affordable and accessible option for production sets. They have also saved production countless hours of time in the process actually helping to get these appliances to set.

Even if you’re not the primary decision maker when it comes to which appliances will be featured in the story, Electric Creatives wants every creative to know about opportunities to save money on set and make a difference. For any production ready to go electric, you can contact brock@rewiringamerica.org or visit https://www.rewiringamerica.org/do-more-together/electric-creatives.