Two of the most common ways to heat your home and appliances are gas and electricity. When the time comes for you to buy a new appliance, which fuel should you choose? Read on to take a closer look at the pros and cons of both electricity and natural gas.

Natural Gas Pros

• Cost-Effective: Gas prices do vary from area to area and can shift over time due to market forces. However, in general, natural gas will be much less expensive to use for heating, compared to using electricity. In fact, "While the average retail price of electricity in Ohio has risen 27 percent since 2008, the average price of natural gas has fallen more than 60 percent - to record lows." This means that you can save on energy bills over time, even in the winter, and eventually recoup the costs of the installation.
• Fast Heating: Gas burns – and flames create immediate heat. Natural gas heats much more quickly and effectively than an electric heating element. This makes gas more suitable for fast heating and cooking applications where you want fast, immediate control over flames and a quick heat-up.
• High Efficiency: Gas furnaces and similar heaters are incredibly efficient. They can convert nearly all of the fuel into thermal energy. This makes them more eco-friendly than other options and helps explain why you are saving money on energy bills.

Natural Gas Cons

• Upfront Costs: Natural gas appliances may be more expensive to purchase and install, especially if you also need to install a gas line in your house.
• Maintenance: Gas heaters tend to have more components than electric heaters, and need more regular cleaning and maintenance to keep them operating correctly. You can set up a maintenance schedule for your heater to make sure it gets the care it needs.

Electricity Pros

• Upfront Savings: Electric furnace models are easy to install and setup, so installation costs are often lower than installing a new gas heater. This is the preferred option if you don't have much money saved at the moment but need a new heater quickly.
• Simple Components: Electric heating elements are simple devices that are easy to understand, maintain, and inspect. There's no open flame, which means less can go wrong.

Electricity Cons

• Long-Term Costs: Again, electricity costs vary based on the supplier and the time, but paying for electricity will be significantly more expensive than paying for natural gas. That means higher monthly energy bills.
• Slow Heating: It takes electric heating elements a while to heat up, which can be annoying, especially when cooking.
• Inefficient: Electricity isn't a very efficient way to heat, which may bother eco-conscious homeowners.

Which Choice Should You Make?

In the end, both gas and electricity have their distinct advantages and disadvantages. However, at Guaranteed Services, we believe that gas heating is the way to go. Contact us at today to discuss the heating options more in depth and to learn about the process it takes to switch from electric to gas heating. Don't forget to ask about our service agreements too!