Gas Appliances

Looking at switching to natural gas home appliances might be a good option to reduce your bills at the same time as seeing higher levels of comfort, convenience and efficiency.

Shale gas is in plentiful supply in the US resulting in low, stable prices, and shale gas is considered to be the cleanest fossil fuel, thus, it can be viewed as the greener alternative.

If you already have gas installed at home, or are buying a new home you might consider the probable advantages of using more gas and gas household appliances.

Learn more about gas appliances here from Dawson’s Appliance Repair:

What is a Natural Gas Home Appliance?

A natural gas device makes use of gas as the dominant fuel source. Gas home appliances offer a viable alternative to electrically powered goods for heating your house, providing hot water, heating food and even cooling your home and tumble drying.

Generally you will still need to supply electricity to a gas appliance. The amount of electricity needed will vary from appliance to appliance. For example, a natural gas cooker can still be used even when there is a power outage, whereas a natural gas clothes dryer still requires electrical components.

A List of Devices That Operate Using Natural Gas.

Gas isn’t just for cooking.

Keeping You Warm

Keeping yourself warm with natural gas usually costs less than heating your home with electricity. The difference can be as high as 50% subject to your fuel tariffs and efficiency.

Gas provides higher air temperatures and is more reliable.This is due to gas lines being better protected than power lines.

An Indoor Fire

Aside from keeping your home warm gas is perfect for a fireplace.Forget the hassle of having to collect or buy logs or clean out the ashes. With a natural gas fireplace, you still get real flames and a warm home without the mess.

Air Conditioning

Natural gas can be an adept way to cool your home.

Natural gas powered air conditioning could be a higher price to begin with but is better value on an ongoing basis meaning savings in the long term. Superior efficiency has the added upside of cutting your C02 emissions.

Water Heaters

There are two types of natural gas water heaters, non-tank and tank. Natural gas heaters are more rapid and more fuel efficient than their electric counterparts. Tankless heaters also give a continuous supply. Which is useful if you have a big household that indulges in long showers.

The fact that gas lines are almost always underground and protected from the weather ensures you can still have heating even when there’s a power outage.

Cooking

Everyone has heard the saying “cooking with gas”. A gas company marketing line conceived to link natural gas to effectiveness and efficiency.

Regardless of the etiology the phrase is used today because it is accurate. A great many chefs and home cooks choose natural gas for the ability to vary the size of the flame, and natural gas ranges are also a more cost effective way of turning energy into heat.

Tumble Dryers

You may not immediately think of using natural gas in your laundry room, however, gas clothes dryers are a great choice. They work at a higher temperature thus clothes dry in less time and clothes have to endure less tumbling.

Using Gas Outside

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

delight guests as soon as they arrive with path lights, keep them cosy even when the temperature drops and get food cooked outside, when you like, and without the need to remember to fill up your propane bottles.

Just like domestic heaters a pool or spa heater will heat the water twice as fast as an electric equivalent. And natural gas outdoor heaters set the mood as well as offering warmth for perfect indoor-outdoor entertaining.

Benefits of Natural Gas Home Appliances

With any decision you make it’s best weight up the pros and the cons. First up the benefits.

Choosing natural gas will cut your power bills.
Gas appliances tend to be more efficient making them financially and environmentally viable.
Gas is an ecologically sound option as it is considered the cleanest of the fossil fuels, with emissions of around 27% less C02 than oil and 45% less C02 than coal.
Natural gas lines are less exposed to the elements making supply less likely to get interrupted. This means you can continue to heat your home even if you get a power outage.

Cons of Gas Home Appliances

Natural gas home appliances tend to require a higher initial investment. Both the cost of the appliance and the associated installation costs are likely to be more for a natural gas appliance when comparing to electrical goods.
Having a natural gas line installed can be costly. The cost will vary depending on how close the nearest supply is to your home.
Having a gas line moved or extended can also be expensive so this should always be included in any cost comparisons.
Safety comes first and carbon monoxide can be an issue if gas devices are not properly installed or regularly maintained. making sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm is non-negotiable is you use natural gas in your home.

Should You Choose Natural Gas?

Making the choice between gas and electricity is not always simple and the best choice for you may not be the optimal choice for everyone.

Currently gas is almost always cheaper 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 gas comes at a cost. Therefore, finding out how much a new gas line would cost if you don’t already have one is a good place to start.

Another benefit of gas is stability of supply. If power cuts happen often in your area then having appliances that continue to work during outages can count for a lot.

Lastly, the sustainability credentials of natural gas may be relatively short term, as you can’t switch them to renewable sources in the same way you can electrical appliances. Opting for renewable energy could be less expensive and more sustainable options in the long run.