Clean Energy Choices Transform a Whittier Home

If you think going electric is a new trend, Monica Sena and Joe Beatty of Whittier are here to set the record straight. The couple’s 1947 farmhouse has been quietly time-traveling toward the future. Today, it’s an electric oasis decked out in clean energy technology, all the way down to the car parked in the driveway.

“You don’t have to be a zillionaire and you don’t have to do it all at one time,” said Sena. “You just chip away at it. Joe and I have been in this house about 30 years, so it’s not like it’s been electrified overnight.”

The home became a hub of inspiration during National Drive Electric Month (NDEM), a monthlong celebration of nationwide electrification events sponsored in part by Edison International.

The couple welcomed guests for a self-guided tour to see firsthand what an electric lifestyle looks like in action. The event, organized by NDEM co-founder Zan Dubin, aimed to demystify electrification and prove that anyone can take steps toward a cleaner future.

“The idea is not just talking, but actually offering hands-on experience with the technology and face time with the people who are living that life,” said Dubin.

For Sena and Beatty, the journey toward an electric home began less as a grand plan and more as a practical idea from Beatty’s experience managing rising electricity bills at work. While working for a food company, Beatty oversaw the installation of hundreds of solar panels on commercial buildings to offset massive energy costs.

Inspired by the savings and the technology, he brought the idea home, where he and Sena installed their first 13 solar panels in 2005. That first step slashed their monthly bill from about $140 to $40.

Their motivation was twofold: saving money and fighting climate change. Now, by generating more electricity than they use, the couple’s electric bill doesn’t just drop to zero — it usually goes into the negative, leaving them with a credit balance.

Over the next three decades, they added more solar panels, upgraded to higher-efficiency models and installed a backup battery to outsmart peak electricity rates. Soon, they swapped out gas appliances for electric ones: heat pumps, induction cooktops, an electric dryer and the electric BBQ. They’ve even driven a Chevy Volt, an early hybrid electric vehicle, for 14 years.

Over the last 20 years, the two have developed a deep passion for electrification. As a co-chair of Third Act SoCal's Climate Group, Sena has become more involved in climate activism and enjoys using her home as an example of how clean energy use can be practical and affordable.

“More than anything else, we want to show that it can be done,” said Sena.

For more information on SCE’s clean energy programs and incentives to make EVs more affordable, visit sce.com/cleanenergy.