4 Reasons You Should Switch to Electric Heating

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Are you still using a gas or oil heater? If it’s about time to switch to a new heater, you should consider an electric-powered heater.

Like ovens, stoves, grills, and cars, heating is beginning to move to electric power. It used to be less powerful than other options, but it is now more efficient and better for the environment. Here are the top reasons you should heat your home with electricity.

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1. It’s Safer

Gas and oil can leak and ignite, causing devastation to your home and loved ones. While the possibility of this happening is low, electric heating removes the possibility altogether. According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating causes 14% of all house fires per year, second to only cooking at a whopping 49%.

Gas fires are one of the worst types of fires because they are incredibly difficult to put out. Until the source of the leak can be fixed, the fire will keep raging. 

And an explosion isn’t the only thing you need to worry about. Even if the gas doesn’t ignite, deadly carbon monoxide can leak into your home. You can typically smell a gas leak, but other signs include bubbles in water and dead houseplants. If you think you smell gas, get out of your home and call the fire department immediately.

If you’ve ever worried about gas or oil leaks, electric heating can give you peace of mind that your home is safe. You’ll need to be careful around electric heating systems, but they aren’t any more dangerous than other household electronics.

2. It’s More Efficient & Affordable

In general, electricity is more efficient and affordable than gas and oil. Renewable energy focuses almost entirely on creating electricity. The sooner we can move away from oil and gas, the sooner we can rely on our own energy rather than energy from other countries.

Electricity requires less consumption to heat your home. This will save you money and help to cut down on energy consumption overall. Heating is a major contributor to CO2 creation and climate change, and if we can move to electric heating as a country, that will be a huge step in the right direction.

Natural gas is still the most affordable option, but electricity is a close second when compared to oil and propane. According to Washington Gas, a highly efficient natural gas furnace will cost about $499 per year to operate, while a highly efficient electric heat pump will cost $787 per year to operate.

However, natural gas is not a sustainable energy source. We need to move away from oil and gas and toward sustainable, electric energy sources.

3. It’s Sustainable & Will Last Longer

The electricity created by solar, wind, water, and other sustainable power sources is the future. Oil and gas will not last forever, and they are doing irreparable damage to our planet. They even do more damage to the heater itself than electricity does.

Wear and tear from gas and oil does much more damage than wear and tear from electricity. An electric heater will typically last you five to ten years longer than an oil or gas heater.

This saves you money over time by cutting down on maintenance and replacement costs. An electric heater is an investment in the future. Oil and gas are on their way out, along with coal. Renewable, electric energy is the future, and it’s better to embrace it earlier rather than later.

4. It Works Well with Smart Thermostats & Solar Panels

If you’re enthusiastic about jumping into an all-electric future, you’ll probably want to invest in smart technology and solar panels as well. These pieces of technology obviously pair better with electric appliances.

According to Prime Electrical Services, an electrician in Cherry Hill, NJ, “Nest, the leading manufacturer of smart thermostats reports that their average user saves $145 a year on heating and cooling. Other manufacturers are less open about their user data, but the average savings reported by real users is 10% to 20%, with the savings in heating costs being greater than that in A/C costs.” You’ll be closer to that 20% number if you pair the smart thermostat with an electrical heating system, and you’ll be able to use some electricity created by your own solar panels, which will increase your savings past that mark. 

At this point, you will have reached near-maximum energy efficiency. The only thing left for you to do will be to wait for the next great innovation.

Are you considering switching to electric heating? Have you already swapped other appliances, like your oven and stove, for electric versions? Let us know in the comments below!

Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.