When you consider that natural gas is considered quite affordable and that the heating season is slightly longer than the cooling season many homeowners find that a combination gas furnace paired with an electric heat pump is arguably the ideal heating and cooling setup for homes in richmond va and the surrounding central virginia region.
Natural gas vs electric heat cost 2017.
5 000 after rebates but it is vastly more energy efficient.
If propane costs 2 50 per gallon in this example natural gas is the cheaper alternative.
The biggest flaw with electric furnaces is that while some boast near 100 percent efficiency the higher cost of electricity makes electric heat more expensive than gas heat.
If you live in an area where electricity costs less than gas then a heat pump is also the better option.
The higher cost of a more efficient gas system will most often be offset by lower fuel costs in regions with harsh winters.
Gas furnaces last approximately 15 to 18 years according to consumer reports and the average cost for gas furnace systems is around 3 000.
From this you might conclude that electric heating must be more expensive but this is not necessarily the case due to a very important piece of technology.
The lifetime cost of an electric furnace is higher than a gas furnace operating under the same conditions even when taking into account the longer.
Cost of natural gas 1 10 for 100 000 btu.
Cost of electricity 2 93 for 100 000 btu.
If the natural gas cost is 15 00 per 1 000 cubic feet the same 15 00 will purchase around one million btus this is the equivalent of slightly over 11 20 gallons of propane.
This and the cheaper cost of natural gas make gas heat a better option for colder climates.
A heat pump costs a little more than a gas furnace around 8 000 vs.
These numbers will need some context.
On face value natural gas seems to be the clear winner but the annual energy bill is actually very close when considering electrical heat systems with upwards of 300.
Cost of heating oil 2 50 for 100 000 btu.
Why choose a heat pump over a gas furnace.
However this does not include installation costs so doubling this figure is probably not unreasonable especially if you don t shop around for a good deal on equipment and labor.
For example to heat a home with electric resistance heat would cost more than 4 times as much as natural gas based on similar consumption.
The electric air source heat pump.
Since data is not available for massachusetts by itself this comparison is based on an average house in new england which is assumed to be 2186 square feet sq ft with a heated area of 1861 sq ft based on.
While natural gas remains the most widely used home heating fuel in the u s this type of fuel may not be available in all areas.
Natural gas cost comparison.
Additionally a gas furnace will heat the home faster because the heat produced is hotter than the heat produced by electric coils.
