Gas Versus Electric Heat: What Should You Choose?
If you're installing a new heating system, one of the choices you have to make is whether you want gas or electric heat. There are reasons you might choose both, so you need to make sure you have all of the information you need to figure out what's best for your home. Here are some of the things you should think about.
What Do You Already Have?
Changing from electric to gas or gas to electric heat adds costs to your installation. When you keep the same type of heating, you can reuse some of the things that are already in place. If you change the type of heating, you need to add new wires or gas lines and might need to upgrade other aspects of your heating system.
This doesn't mean that you should never change what type of heating system you have. The benefits may outweigh the additional installation costs.
What Are the Benefits of Gas Heating?
One benefit of using gas heating is that it provides much more consistent heat than electricity does. This means that if you use gas instead of electricity, you don't have to worry as much about how hot or cold it will be at different times during the day or as your heating system turns on and off.
Another reason to consider gas heating is that it may be less expensive than electricity depending on the utility rates in your area. Many areas with cold climates have high electricity rates and low gas rates, making gas heating the ideal choice.
What Are the Benefits of Electric Heating?
Electricity is generally considered to be cleaner than natural gas. It also has fewer emissions when compared to oil-fired systems. Of course, this might depend on what type of power plant serves your home.
In some places, electric heating is cheaper than gas heating. This is especially true in areas that have fewer people choosing gas heating as there won't be as much supply of gas in those areas.
Electric heating can also be simpler. If you only have electric appliances in your home, you don't need to worry about ordering gas.
How Much Will It Cost to Install Each Type of System?
The cost of installing each type of heating system depends on many factors, including the size of your home, the materials used, and the amount of work needed to install them. In general, the costs of gas and electric furnaces are fairly similar.
For more information about heating system installation, contact an HVAC company near you.