Written By: John Silvester
As temperatures drop this fall, many Americans will feel the annual pecuniary pang that cold weather brings when they look at their gas or electric utility bill. The yearly spike in utility costs during the winter corresponds with increased energy consumption caused by the need to heat our homes during the cold winter months. On average, heating and air conditioning account for more than half of all household energy consumption in the United States.[1] In most states, energy use and utility costs peak in the winter, because heating tends to require substantially more energy than air conditioning in the summer.[2] The majority of homes are heated using natural gas, electricity, or a combination thereof.[3] This blog briefly examines the characteristics of gas and electric heating systems, their costs in money and resources, and how consumers can save both money and energy during the winter.
Gas and Electric Heating Systems: Cost of Operation
For systems that use natural gas, consumers are billed per cubic foot of gas used; for systems that use electricity, consumers are billed per kilowatt-hour of electrical energy.[4] Natural gas and electricity prices vary from region to region, but in general, it costs about one-third as much annually to heat a house using natural gas as it would cost to heat the same house using electricity.[5] However, gas heating systems tend to be more expensive to purchase, install and maintain than electrical ones, and modern electrical units often last longer than comparable gas units.[6]
Gas and Electric Heating Systems: Environmental Impact
The Environmental Protection Agency has identified carbon dioxide as air pollutant and a greenhouse gas, which causes climate change.[7] When fossil fuels such as natural gas are burned for heat, carbon dioxide gas and other pollutants are emitted as byproducts.[8] Domestic natural gas heating systems generate a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions each year, because they operate by burning natural gas.[9] Additionally, natural gas furnaces contribute to poor indoor air quality which can affect consumers’ health.[10] Electrical heating systems tend to run cleaner, but they are not a net-zero alternative for natural gas systems. Most electricity in this country is produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.[11] Therefore, electrical heating systems also account for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions each year. However, fossil fuel power plants tend to operate with a higher thermal efficiency than domestic furnaces, and almost 40 percent of the electricity generated in the US is generated with either renewable or nuclear energy sources, which do not produce greenhouse gas emissions.[12] Therefore, electrical heating systems tend to account for lower emissions of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants than natural gas heating systems, per unit of heat generated.
Conclusion and Ways to Save this Winter
Natural gas heating tends to be more affordable for consumers in areas with snowy or harsh winters, but electrical heating tends to be more environmentally friendly, and has other benefits. For this reason, areas which have snowy winters such as Pennsylvania tend to be predominantly heated via natural gas, but areas with more temperate climates, such as Florida, tend to be predominantly heated via electrical furnaces.[13] However, neither type of system is perfect, and the best way to both reduce utility costs, and preserve the environment is by reducing your consumption of energy during the winter months.
There are a few steps everyone can take to lower energy use and costs associated with heating this winter. For example, merely opening your window coverings during the day, to let the sun in, can help reduce your energy needs by allowing the sun to naturally warm your home. Covering or replacing drafty doors and windows and sealing leaks or gaps in insulation can keep your home warmer by preventing warm air from escaping. Using a smart thermostat that allows you to set your home temperature on a cycle to match up with your work and sleep cycle can reduce heating costs and energy consumption by as much as 10 percent.[14] Selecting energy efficient LED Christmas lights rather than traditional incandescent bulbs is another easy way to save money and conserve resources this winter. There is no way to totally eliminate the sting of annual energy costs, but consumers can reduce both their personal costs and carbon footprint by being mindful of simple ways to conserve heat during the winter, like the ones mentioned here.
[1] See U. S. Energy Information Administration, Energy use in homes, eia.gov (June 14, 2022), https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/homes.php.
[2] Id.
[3] C. Lawrence & C. Berry, U. S. households’ heating equipment choices are diverse and vary by climate region, eia.gov (April 6, 2017), https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=30672.
[4] U. S. Energy Information Administration, Natural gas explained: Natural gas prices, eia.gov (October 15, 2021), https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/prices.php; U. S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity explained: Factors affecting electricity prices, eia.gov (April 20, 2022), https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/prices-and-factors-affecting-prices.php.
[5] A. Lauer, Natural Gas Heat vs Electrical Heat – Which is Cheaper 2022, shrinkthatfootprint.com (2022), https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/natural-gas-heat-vs-electrical-heat/ (last visited October 31, 2022).
[6] S. Boswell, Electric vs. gas heating: which is better?, HVAC.com (November 8, 2021), https://www.hvac.com/furnaces/electric-vs-gas-heating/.
[7] 80 Fed. Reg. 64530.
[8] U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Overview of Greenhouse Gases, epa.gov (May 16, 2022), https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#carbon-dioxide
[9] See U. S. Department of Energy, Furnaces and Boilers, energy.gov, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/furnaces-and-boilers (last visited November 4, 2022)
[10] U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Introduction to Indoor Air Quality, epa.gov (December 16, 2021), https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality#causes.
[11] U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity in the United States, eia.gov (July 15, 2021), https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php.
[12] Id.
[13] See C. Lawrence & C. Berry, supra, note 3
[14] U.S. Department of Energy, Fall and Winter Energy-Saving Tips, energy.gov, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fall-and-winter-energy-saving-tips (last visited October 31, 2022).