Your old furnace has broken down yet again, and you’re not willing to pay for repairs. You’d rather buy a new, more reliable furnace that won’t fail you during cold winters. But which should you choose: a gas furnace or an electric model?
This guide compares the pros and cons of a gas furnace vs. electric furnace to help you make the call.
How Do Gas and Furnaces Heat Your Home?
The biggest difference between gas and electric furnaces is how they create heat to keep your house warm. Electric furnaces feature an ignition that triggers the heating system to kick on. The unit sucks cold air into the heat exchanger and heats it over a set of coils. Once the air is sufficiently warm, the furnace’s blower fan pushes it through your home’s ductwork.
A gas furnace, as the name suggests, uses natural gas to keep your home cozy. Gas furnaces feature a pilot light which ignites the burner and warms up the heat exchanger. The exchanger then heats air and pushes the warmed air through your ducts, just like an electric furnace. The pilot light turns off once the thermostat detects that the air has reached your desired temperature.
Electric Furnace vs. Gas: Which Will Save You the Most Money?
This is one of the most common questions we get here at Grasshopper Heating & Cooling. Which type of furnace is easiest on your wallet?
To answer this question, you’ll have to weigh the initial cost of the unit against utility costs. How much does an electric furnace cost vs. a gas unit? Initial costs tend to be lowest for electric furnaces. Electric models cost an average of $800*, and you’ll pay an HVAC company anywhere from $2,000* to $7,000* to install one.
Gas furnaces are more expensive upfront. The unit itself costs around $2,000*, and furnace installation will run you anywhere from $3,800* to $10,000*. If you don’t already have a natural gas line serving your home, you’ll have to pay extra for one.
Although gas furnaces cost more to buy and install, they take the prize for being cheaper to run. A gas furnace has lower operating costs at an average of just $16 per BTU. Compare that to electric furnaces, which cost an average of $41 per BTU. Electricity almost always costs more than gas, so you’ll pay higher operating costs if you go electric.
Where you live makes a big difference in your heating bills, too. If you live in a warm place and don’t use your furnace often, it makes sense to stick with electric heat. In colder climates, like New York’s, natural gas furnaces are more affordable to run.
There are also maintenance costs to consider. Both types of furnaces need regular maintenance to keep the warm air flowing and your energy bill as low as can be. Annual maintenance ensures your furnace keeps on kicking for years to come. With good maintenance, the expected lifetime of a gas furnace is 15-20 years, and electric units last about 20-30 years.
*costs are based on a national average report by Angi and are not necessarily reflective of Grasshopper Heating & Cooling’s pricing. For an accurate furnace replacement/installation estimate, please call our office at 518-545-3271.
Electric or Gas Furnace: Which Is Safest?
Despite the many gas furnace pros, there’s no getting around the fact that they produce carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide production occurs when a natural gas furnace combusts fuel. If there are clogs in your venting systems or cracks in the gas lines or heating equipment, you’ll end up with dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. Annual maintenance for high-efficiency gas furnaces is a must to detect leaks and keep air quality high.
If you’d rather not worry about such safety concerns and don’t want to risk carbon monoxide poisoning, you may want to stick with an electric forced-air furnace.
Which Is the Most Environmentally Friendly?
If you care about minimizing carbon emissions from your energy usage, you’re probably comparing a gas furnace vs. electric furnace to figure out which is more eco-friendly.
Gas heat may not be the best choice if you’re worried about your carbon footprint. Gas furnaces burn natural gas, which produces emissions and greenhouse gases. Electric furnaces don’t burn gas or heating oil, so they’re usually more environmentally friendly.
However, exactly how environmentally friendly an electric furnace is depends on the source of electricity. If the electricity comes from a clean source such as wind or hydro, the environmental impact is low. But if the electricity relies on burning fossil fuels, an electric furnace can be just as damaging to the environment as a gas model.
For the ultimate in heating efficiency and environmental friendliness, consider a heat pump. These systems rely on warmth from the air or ground to heat your home. In addition to serving as a heat source, a heat pump can also cool your home, so you may not need to use a separate air conditioning system. Heat pumps perform best in moderate climates, but you can find some heat pump models (such as dual-fuel systems) that work well in cold climates like New York’s.
Choosing Between Electric and Gas Furnaces
Still having trouble deciding between an electric furnace vs. gas? Here’s a recap to help you decide whether an electric or gas furnace is right for you.
- Gas and oil furnaces are usually more expensive than electric ones upfront, but typically cost less than an electric furnace to run. A gas furnace is a good pick for homeowners in colder climates.
- Gas furnaces produce carbon monoxide, while electric furnaces don’t.
- An electric furnace is more environmentally friendly than a gas heating system.
- Electric furnaces generally last a few years longer than gas furnaces.
Ready To Install Your Furnace? Call Grasshopper Heating & Cooling
Gas furnace vs. electric furnace: Which should you choose? If you can’t decide between the many models of gas, electric, and oil furnaces, give Grasshopper Heating & Cooling a call. We’ll help you pick the right furnace for your Clifton Park home. We offer furnace maintenance and air conditioning maintenance, too!
To schedule furnace installation, call Grasshopper Heating & Cooling at (518) 545-3271.
