There are many arguments that AFCI is too costly. How does that savings which is no more than 0.2% of home cost compare to the lifelong cost when a family member is injured or killed in an electrical fire that started within a home, in a kitchen or bedroom when it could have been prevented by AFCI circuit breakers. Much like the airbags in your car, it is a protection that is in place to ensure you’re protected in an accident.
The average cost for an AFCI circuit breaker is $49 or approximately $392 to protect a new 2,000-square-foot, four-bedroom home from electrical fires caused by electrical arcing. (According to 2024 consumer market average of eight AFCI devices found at Home Depot and on Amazon) That’s $1.09 per month to protect a family from electrical fires over a 30‐year mortgage.