Comments on: a new home in tx: 1.gas or electric to heat it .2. gas or electric for water heater which is better?

By: Russell

Russell — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

For a NEW home, I’d consider gas on-demand hot water. On-demand heaters are cheaper to operate, but have different installation requirements compared to traditional gas hot water heaters. Those differences makes retrofitting an existing (failed) hot water heater with an on-demand one financially infeasible. Although the inital capital cost for the on-demand unit is higher, the payback period isn’t unreasonable (ballpark 4 years).

For central heat & air conditioning, consider a ground-source heat pump, if it is an option for your homesite (not all are compatible). Regular (air-source) heat pumps are more efficient than either gas or electric heating, but struggle when the outside air temperature gets frosty (thus the need for backup heating). A ground-source heat pump can use the relatively constant 50-ish ground temperature to heat the house even when the outside air temp is well below freezing.

When cooling, a heat pump is exactly the same as an air conditioner. All air conditioners’ cooling efficiency is a factor of several things, one of which is the temperature difference between the outside coils and the outside air (i.e. A/C works more efficiently on cooler days). In the summer, the ground (for a ground-source heat pump) is much cooler than the air, so a ground-source heat pump will have an advantage over a tradional air conditioner.

The catch is not all home sites are compatible with ground-source heat pumps, plus the installation costs are higher.

By: momma

momma — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

gas is cheaper… but is all very expensive in Texas

By: sweetgoddess12002

sweetgoddess12002 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

Have you considered Natural Gas Propane? Very clean burning and energy efficient, especially in a new or smaller home.

By: jjnsavannah

jjnsavannah — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

well gas used to be cheaper but now i might go with electric

By: Amber

Amber — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

i’m not sure if gas is cheaper but gas heats alot faster and efficiently than electricity

By: Gorilla Mike

Gorilla Mike — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

Gas. Texas is cheap, compared to California. Gas is cheaper. Way cheaper. Also you did not mention the stove, get that gas as well. And the House heater, Gas. Dryer, Gas.

By: aussie

aussie — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

Heat pump with gas back up for the heat. Gas for the hot water as the recovery time is less. Gas prices are sky rocketing so with a heat pump you can use which is less at the time

By: xtrapr

xtrapr — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

They did have signs up advertising gas as one fifth the cost of electric. It was a picture of a nickel and a quarter on a big billboard. Nickel represented gas and the quarter represented electricity.

We pulled out the electric built in stove and oven. Put in new electric oven as wife likes the temperature control better but had a nice big gas top installed.

We added many feet of gas pipe in the attic and all else is gas. I thing gas is much cheaper.

On the gas stove and water heater be sure to get the electric igniter and not have a pilot light.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:43:21 +0000

gas and gas. The only option I would consider is a dual fuel system for heating. In other words, an air to air heat pump for cooling and heating with a gas back-up or auxillary heat. That way if one source has big increases, you always have the other to fall back on.