Gas Appliances

Thinking about gas home appliances may be a good option to reduce your bills while seeing higher levels of comfort and efficiency.

Gas easy to extract in the US meaning that equivalent prices are low and stable, and shale gas is viewed as the least polluting fossil fuel, thus, it can be seen as the environmentally responsible alternative.

If you already have natural gas installed in your home, or are building a new house you may wish to consider the likely benefits of choosing gas and gas appliances.

Read more about gas appliances below from Blair Appliance Repair:

What is a Natural Gas Appliance?

A natural gas home appliance employs gas as the dominant power source. These appliances are a great substitute for electrically powered home appliances.

Generally you will still need to plug in a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed depends on the type of appliance. E.g, a natural gas range will still work even if the electricity cuts out, whereas a gas tumble dryer still relies upon electricity.

Examples of Natural Gas Home Appliances

Gas could have any number of uses in your house.

Keeping You Warm

Keeping yourself warm with gas generally costs less than keeping warm with electricity. The reduction can be as much as 50% subject to your fuel tariffs and efficiency.

Natural gas heats the air faster and offers better reliability.This is a huge benefit if you experience regular power outages in the winter

An Indoor Fire

Aside from keeping your home warm natural gas is great for having a fire in your home. With a gas fire, you still get all the ambiance and a warm home without the mess.

Air Conditioning

Natural gas air conditioning can offer an adept way to keep cool.

Gas air conditioning are often a higher price initially but is cheaper on an ongoing basis meaning lower prices in the long term. Higher effectiveness has the added positive impact of lowering your C02 emissions.

Water Heating

Natural gas water boilers come in two styles, tank heaters and non-tank or on-demand heaters. Gas heaters are quicker and more fuel efficient than their electric counterparts. Tankless heaters also offer a continuous supply. Invaluable if you have a big household that enjoys long showers.

The fact that natural gas lines are usually hidden and sheltered from the elements ensures you can still have the ability to wash even when there’s a power outage.

Preparing Food

We’ve all encountered the saying “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line conceived to link natural gas with effectiveness and efficiency.

Clever marketing or not the saying is used today because it is accurate. The majority of chefs choose natural gas for the fact that they can vary the temperature, and natural gas hobs are also a more cost effective way of converting fuel into heat.

Dryers

You may not immediately think of using natural gas in your laundry room, however, gas clothes dryers can be an excellent choice. Gas Dryers work at a higher temperature thus drying clothes in less time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Outdoor Entertaining

Did you know you don’t just have to use natural gas inside your home? Outside the home, natural gas is often used for patio lights and outdoor cooking and even to heat your spa.

Wow friends before they even reach the front door with outdoor lights, keep them warm on cool evenings and get a meal prepared outside at the perfect temperature, when you like, and without the worry of remembering to fill up your gas bottles.

Just like indoor water heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as fast as an electric heater. And natural gas patio heaters offer atmosphere as well as providing warmth for the best outside entertaining.

Advantages of Natural Gas Appliances

With any decision you make it makes sense to look at the pros and the cons. Here are some of the pros of choosing Natural Gas.

Gas is generally less expensive than electricity saving you money on your annual energy bills.
Gas devices tend to be more efficient making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an environmentally responsible option as it is considered the cleanest of the fossil fuels, contributing around 27% less carbon dioxide than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Natural gas lines are generally run underground making supply more reliable. This means you can continue to heat water even if you get a power outage.At worst you might need to find a match.

Negatives of Natural gas Home Appliances

Natural gas devices generally have a higher initial cost. Both the cost of the appliance and the associated installation costs are likely to be higher for a gas appliance when looking at next to electrical alternatives.
Having a natural gas line installed can be costly. The price will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home, so it is worth talking to your provider before making any decisions.
Having a natural gas line moved or extended can also require a big outlay.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be a killer if natural gas devices are not installed correctly or regularly maintained. Having a carbon monoxide alarm is a must is you use natural gas in your home.

Is a Natural Gas Appliance The Right Choice for You?

Making the choice between gas and electricity is not easy and the best choice for you might not be the right decision for everyone.

Currently natural gas is almost always less expensive than electricity, so if the cost is your main motivation 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 gas is expensive. With this in mind, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good place to start.

Another key advantage of gas is reliability of supply. If power outages happen often where you live then being able to heat water, heat or cool your home and cook during power failures can be a huge benefit.

Finally, in environmental terms, while natural gas devices are generally more efficient you can’t power them from renewable sources in the same way you can electrical goods. Installing solar panels or a heat pump could be a better investment and more sustainable options in the long run.