Success Story: Electrification in Chatham with Celestine Patterson and Deborah McKissic

Deborah McKissic poses with her mother Celestine Patterson.

Ms. Celestine Patterson’s century-old house in Chatham has been witness to many phases of her life. She was working at the post office when she moved with her three teenaged children. For more than fifty years, she’s taken pride in decorating her home for every holiday and caring for her garden, even now, as she’s retired and lives alone. This year, she celebrated her 90th birthday there, surrounded by her family.  

Elevate fully electrified Ms. Patterson’s home this summer, ensuring she’ll be able to enjoy many more years of family celebrations and restful afternoons in her garden.  

“I’m so excited about these upgrades because it gives us all peace of mind,” said Deborah McKissic, Ms. Patterson’s daughter who helps care for her mother and oversees her home. “My mom loves living on her own, but as people age, their houses get older too, and there’s always something that needs to be done. Now, I can worry less, knowing she has a fully functional house, with all new, efficient appliances, where she’s going to be healthy.”  

Through the Chicago Green Homes program, contractors installed electric, energy efficient appliances at Ms. Patterson’s home . The upgrades included an electric stove, washer and dryer, as well as a heat pump that powers a central heating and cooling system.   

“I love the new thermostat because it’s touchscreen, so it’s much easier for my mom to maneuver,” Ms. McKissic said. “The best part is those new induction pots for the new stove, they’re beautiful and I can’t wait to get over to her house to spend some time cooking with her and try them out.” 

These retrofits will eliminate Ms. Patterson’s gas bill and will likely lower her overall energy costs while reducing her carbon footprint. After electrification, some homeowners have seen up to $1,000 in savings annually on utility costs and see a 105-ton reduction in their house’s carbon emissions during the appliances’ 30-year-lifetime.

Energy-efficient electric appliances also have a well-documented positive impact on household health, including decreases in asthma and cardiovascular disease and improvements in IAQ, comfort, and well-being. 

“Before all of this, I didn’t know all the health benefits associated with removing gas from your home,” Ms. McKissic said. “I didn’t think about how much using gas in your home can impact you. These electrification upgrades will provide the energy efficiency she needs and clean up the air she’s breathing, which is so worth it We’re looking forward to seeing the financial impact as well.” 

Ms. McKissic regularly researches home improvement programs for her mom’s house, from replacing water pipes to removing trees. Last year, Ms. McKissic noticed her mom’s gas bill was high and connected with the Chicago Bungalow Association to have weatherization work done, which improved the efficiency of Ms. Patterson’s heating system. After completing those improvements, the Chicago Bungalow Association recommended the family submit an application for electrification through Chicago Green Homes.  

Ms. Patterson’s home was chosen for electrification in April 2025, and the construction was finished in June 2025. Ms. Patterson and Ms. McKissic enjoyed working with Nick and Eddie Construction, a family owned company that partners with Elevate on a variety of projects. Coincidentally, they were the same contractors who previously completed weatherization work on Ms. Patterson’s house in 2023.  

“They were very pleasant to work with and professional. Mom is particular about how she does her garbage, and she introduced herself and gave them specific directions, and they did a great job following all of that,” Ms. McKissic said. “Familiarity is important for older people. They’d been in our house before, we knew how they worked, we knew they cleaned up after themselves. That’s really important to seniors, and especially my mom, because she keeps her house very clean.” 

Although Ms. Patterson and Ms. McKissic had never heard about electrification before participating in this program, they said Elevate’s program staff thoroughly explained everything they needed to know about the construction process and benefits of the new technology. 

“I did a lot of research on different things and asked a lot of questions when the team came out,” Ms. McKissic said. “The initial contact explained everything very well. One of the engineers even had his own home electrified, so he was very knowledgeable and able to talk about what it’s been like for him. Everyone was extremely sincere in terms of the messaging about this, and why this is the direction we’re going in.” 

Educating people about the benefits of electrification can be just as important as installing the technology, Ms. McKissic said. Since going through the electrification process with her mom, Ms. McKissic has been spreading the word and sharing what she’s learned with others in the community. 

“It’s really important that we think about how to deliver this information to elders in the community,” Ms. McKissic said. “My mom is receptive to these things because she trusts me. Now that I’m starting to get a better understanding of electrification, and the benefits, I can explain those things to her as well. She doesn’t always like it because it’s hard for her to have people in her space, but it’s easier when she can understand the reasons behind it.” 

Even though the paint is still drying on Ms. Patterson’s new walls, Ms. McKissic has already started researching the family’s next home improvement project: solar panels.  

“Throughout the whole process, I learned a lot about how all of these things work together to make our air cleaner, to make us healthier, and to protect our environment for generations to come,” Ms. McKissic said. “When people don’t understand things, sometimes it’s easy to distrust it, but it’s important to be open-minded. It feels good to be on the forefront of change.”