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Is Gas Better for Home Use than Electricity?

At Handyman Express, we know about the debate between gas and electric appliances has been raging for ages. Natural gas has been stapled to the home environment long before electric appliances. 

Now, electricity has supplanted gas in many ways; there are still many benefits of using gas appliances in the home. 

Natural gas vs electricity

We believe that gas is better for home use than electricity if a gas-safe engineer installs it. The gas safe register certificate differs in different regions. My uncle preferred gas over electricity when he moved to his new home. I was surprised to see the difference in bills, and that’s when I got in favour of gas.

We will compare gas and electricity in every aspect, and you will see the difference yourself.

Gas vs. Electric Furnaces

Electrical heat will typically cost you less initially, but the cost will increase exponentially in the longer run. If we talk about average, gas is cheaper than electricity, and it will help save money on your bills.

When it comes to your home’s heating, gas appliances usually heat your home quicker.

If you’re after secondary usage, multi-fuel stoves could be a neat alternative to consider.

Gas vs. Electric Water Heaters

Water heaters come in both gas and electric variations. Many factors determine the efficiency of a gas or an electric water heater. A gas water heater heats the water faster.

Installing a gas water heater may be costly upfront, but it saves you money on utility bills in the longer run. We advise you to take care of a gas water heater to avoid damage.

Gas vs. Electric Heat Pumps

Heat pumps help you heat or cool a home. In winters, it pulls heat from outside into the home, and in the summers, it pulls heat out of your home.

Although electric heat pumps are cheaper to run, they use chemicals and coolants that are not healthy for the environment when heat pumps are serviced, replaced, or disposed of.

On the other hand, gas heat pumps use gas to draw heat. They work typically and efficiently to produce better results. Moreover, they don’t require constant electricity and can run on gas only.

Is Gas Safer than Electricity?

Yes, gas is safer than electricity as it is an eco-friendlier option for any appliance—gas use 30% less energy than electric ones, which will reduce your carbon footprint.

Moreover, electric appliances have a slight risk of fire and electrocution if not installed and maintained properly unlike gas, which poses risks for people moving. Please keep all the systems up to date and use them accordingly to save yourself from it.

Besides the facts mentioned above, there are three more main reasons we consider gas over electricity.

Delivery On-Demand

The gas infrastructure allows the distributors to deliver gas on-demand, without the supply or reliability issues associated with electricity. The natural gas network experiences almost zero unplanned outages on average.

If the blackout occurs, and they connect your home to natural gas, you can still access energy to warm your home, wash your dishes, and take a hot shower.

Cheaper or Expensive than Electricity to Use?

Natural gas has always been available constantly and is likely to be so well into the future. The more gas appliances you install, the more you can save. On the contrary, an increase in electricity consumption drives your tariffs higher.

Moreover, the cost per unit of gas decreases as consumption increases. The only disadvantage is that gas appliances may cost a little more to install initially; still, the running costs are lower. The bottom line is that gas always works out cheaper in the longer run.

Of course, change is drastic lately and the question still bares.

Produces Significantly Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Although natural gas is a fossil fuel, it is far more environmentally friendly than electricity. Its chemical structure is quite different from coal, which means its emissions are much lower.

We are going to prove our point through various facts and figures.

  • In South Australia, a gas-powered hot water system emits 62% less CO2 than electrical equipment.
  • A gas-powered hot water system emits 83% less CO2 than electrical equipment in Victoria.
  • The emissions from a natural gas-powered hot water system are on par with those produced using 50% renewable energy and 50% coal electricity mix.
  • Gas currently delivers 44% of Australia’s household energy but only produces 13% of household greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Gas has a higher yield rate from extraction to delivery, 90% compared to electricity, making it far more efficient. 

Gas Appliances Increases Home Value

According to some reports, gas appliances increase home value. Over 70% of homebuyers want natural gas home appliances.

Moreover, it is also favourable as it saves money for the homeowners.

Advantages of Gas

It is cheaper when it comes to the cost of running your heating. Modern boilers which use gas are more energy-efficient. With gas, it is easy to control your heating needs across your homemade with a smart thermostat.

Disadvantages of Electricity

  • Electricity unit prices are higher than gas.
  • It can be expensive to install, like air source heat pumps.
  • The electric heaters that are older are not efficient.
  • Basic storage heater models can lead to overheated rooms and wasted energy.
  • Some of the older models even contain asbestos.

Conclusion

Finding ways to reuse, reduce, recycle and conserve natural resources is important, but having a backup generator is always a good idea. Gas is a natural resource, and that’s the main reason that people lean towards it. There are a lot of factors when you are deciding which of the two you should use.

The deciding factors include cost, green light emission, efficiency, etc. When using gas appliances, one thing to keep in mind is to get them checked by a gas safe registered engineer. 

Find a professional engineer and get your gas appliances regularly. Also, get a gas certificate; it will increase the value of your home.

We have enlisted all the facts and figures. This is it from today’s topic. If you still have any more questions, feel free to reach out. Let us know about your valuable feedback in the comments. Thank you so much for your time.

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