Choosing whether to use gas or electricity in order to heat your home will have a significant impact on your energy bill costs in the future. Typically, gas is a more expensive choice than electricity, however there are times where it makes more sense to choose gas as it more efficient for certain appliances. We’ve put together a list of different appliances that you may use in your home and whether it is cheaper to pick gas or electricity for each of them in order to ensure that your energy bills stay as low as possible.
Water Heaters
When it comes to choosing gas or electricity for your water heater, gas water heaters tend to be more expensive to buy but more efficient in the long run. If you are using a single water heater for a home that has more than one bathroom, you may want to choose gas. Newer models of water heater which do not store water but heat it as it is used tend to be the most efficient and cheapest to operate.
Kitchen Appliances
Certain kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers should be powered by electricity. When it comes to choosing a stove, gas stoves tend to heat up faster, although electric ovens are usually the cheapest option when it comes to the cost of operation. Choose appliances which are Energy Star certified to ensure that you have the most efficient product.
Heating and Cooling Systems
The vast majority of older homes use a gas heating system and an electricity powered air conditioning system. However, today it often works out more cost effective to choose other options where available. Using fans and ventilation systems is often a better way of cooling a home rather than using an air conditioning system, however if one is required, electricity is usually the best option. When choosing a heating system, electricity may often work out cheaper for small homes, however many homeowners choose gas as it is more reliable for example when heating a home during a storm when the electricity is not working, and it is cheaper when heating more than one room. To help you decide, you can always contact your local HVAC expert at a website like Airsheen Services (check it out) and they can give you some advice.
Clothes Dryers
When considering whether it is cheaper to purchase a gas or electric clothes dryer, there are two separate costs to think about. Firstly, there is the price of purchase which often tends to be higher for the gas option. However, when it comes to the price of operation, this is often much lower on a gas rather than an electric tumble dryer, due to the gas dryer being able to run more efficiently. If you are able to afford the upfront cost of a gas clothes dryer, it may be cheaper in the long run to go with this option.
Before you make a decision about whether to choose gas or electric for your different appliances and heating and cooling your home, it is wise to look into the prices of energy in your area in order to make an informed choice. Shop electricity plans and gas plans online to discover which would be the cheapest option for you.