Gas Appliances

Considering natural gas home appliances may be a good option to save money at the same time as seeing gains in comfort and efficiency.

There is a plentiful supply of shale gas in the US meaning that equivalent prices are low and stable, and natural gas is considered the cleanest fossil fuel, consequently, it can be viewed as the most eco-friendly option.

If you already have natural gas installed at home, or are buying a new home you might think about the likely advantages of switching to natural gas and gas appliances.

Learn more about gas appliances here from Shaw Appliance Repair:

What is a Natural Gas Home Appliance?

A natural gas appliance runs on natural gas as the dominant fuel source. Gas appliances afford a great substitute for electrical appliances for heating your home, providing hot water, cooking your food and even air conditioning and drying your clothes.

In many cases gas home appliances nevertheless will need an electrical outlet but use natural gas as the main source of power. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. E.g, a gas water heater will still work even during a power cut, whereas a natural gas dryer still requires electricity.

A List of Devices That Use Natural Gas

Gas is about more than cooking.

Keeping You Warm

Providing heat with natural gas usually costs less than heating using electricity. The difference can be up to 50% depending on your fuel costs and relative efficiency gains.

Gas heats the air more quickly and offers better reliability.

Fireplaces

As well as keeping your home warm natural gas is perfect for a log fire with real flames.Forget the hassle of having to collect or buy logs or clean out the ashes. With a natural gas fire, you still get all the ambiance and a focal point without the mess.

Air Conditioning

Gas can be an adept way to keep your home cool, even if there is a power outage.

Natural gas air conditioning requires a higher initial investment but is better value to run and maintain meaning a better return on your investment. Superior performance has the added upside of reducing your C02 emissions.

Hot Water

There are two styles of gas water boilers, on demand and tank. Natural gas heaters are more rapid and more efficient than their electric alternatives. Tankless heaters also provide a continuous supply even with high demand.

The fact that natural gas lines are almost always dug into the ground and guarded from the weather means you still have heating even if you don’t have electricity.

Cooking

We’ve all heard the saying “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line designed to link the use of natural gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the saying has stuck around because it is true. The majority of chefs choose gas for the ease with which you can vary the heat, and gas stoves also offer a much more efficient way of turning energy into heat.

Tumble Dryers

You may not immediately think of using gas to dry your clothes, however, natural gas tumble dryers have many advantages. Gas Dryers dry clothes at a higher temperature thus drying clothes in less time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Outdoor Living

Did you know you don’t just have to use gas inside your home? Outside the home, gas is a great power source for lighting and outdoor cooking and can even be used to heat your spa.

delight guests before they even get out of the car with driveway lighting, keep them warm on cool evenings and get dinner ready outside, when you like, and without the having to go to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like indoor heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as rapidly as an electric heater. And natural gas patio heaters offer ambiance as well as giving heat for perfect outside entertaining.

Advantages of Gas Home Appliances

With any decision you make it makes sense to investigate the pros and the cons. First up the pros of choosing Natural Gas.

Choosing natural gas will reduce your utility bills.
Gas devices tend to be more efficient making them a better choice for your wallet and for the planet.
Gas is an environmentally responsible option as it is the least polluting of the fossil fuels, emitting around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less carbon dioxide than coal.
Gas supplies are generally more reliable and less susceptible to damage or interruption This means you can continue to cook even if you get a power outage.

Negatives of Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas devices generally require a higher initial outlay. Both the value of the appliance and the associated installation costs are likely to be more.
Having a gas line installed if you don’t already have one can be costly. The amount will vary depending on a number of factors, so it is worth talking to your provider before making any decisions.
Moving or extending a gas line can also cost a considerable amount so this should always be added to any cost benefit analysis.
Safety first! Carbon monoxide can be an issue if gas appliances are not properly installed or not maintained. making sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use gas in your home.

Should You Choose Gas?

Making the choice between gas and electricity is not straightforward and the right choice for you probably won’t be the best choice for everyone.

Currently gas is almost always less expensive than electricity, so if the price is your main driver this can be a big part of the decision-making process. However, while studies show that three-quarters of new home buyers are choosing to have gas, switching to natural gas comes at a cost. Thus, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good place to start.

Another reason to choose gas is that you are less likely to get interruptions in supply. If power outages happen often in your area then having appliances that continue to work during outages can be a big plus.

Lastly, the eco-friendly credentials of gas may be relatively short term, as you can’t power them from renewable sources like you can electrical appliances. Installing solar panels or a heat pump could be less expensive and more sustainable options in the long run.