Gas vs Electric Furnaces: The Pros & Cons of Each

We’re already in late fall and approaching winter fast. It’s around this time of year when people are igniting their furnace or fireplace to avoid getting too cold.

Times are a little different now compared to the years before, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the question that we ask: natural gas or electric for HVAC? In particular, we’re talking about furnaces. Both types of systems create heat using a forced air heating system, but they create said heat in different ways.

Whichever furnace you decide to have installed in your home, it has to be the correct size. Otherwise your home won’t be heated properly or you may be forced to have maintenance performed more often.

We figured now’s a good time as any to help you learn more about your furnace. Here are the pros and cons of both natural gas and electric furnaces.

Electric Furnace Pros

Electric furnaces use exactly what you think it uses to generate heat: electricity. They are generally less expensive to install and maintain compared to a natural gas furnace. For some homeowners, an electric furnace is the best choice for them especially if they can reap from the listed benefits:

• No need to use natural gas.
• If your home doesn’t have a gas line and you can’t afford to have one installed (which also adds on to costs), this furnace is more ideal.
• Electricity is all your home needs to heat up fully (depending on your area in the Lower Mainland).
• Carbon and air pollution is vastly reduced.
• With proper maintenance, these furnaces can last for up to 30 years.

Electric Furnace Cons

• Higher electricity bills are a given. It could actually cost MORE to heat your home with electricity than with gas, though it depends on several factors.
• Electric furnaces create original heat, but they can’t transfer it to other areas.
• If you need to heat your home fast, you’ll have to wait; electric furnaces take their time to heat up.

Natural Gas Furnace Pros

This kind of furnace uses natural gas as opposed to electricity to generate heat before distributing it throughout the home. With the recent increase of going green for our homes, you may be wondering why natural gas furnaces are still an option provided to Canadian homes. The answer is because these too have their slew of benefits:

• Your home is heated up fast compared to electric furnaces.
• Natural gas furnaces are best suited for colder climates, which is a given in Canada’s Lower Mainland
• They can lower your monthly energy expenses according to Fortis BC
• Operating costs for this furnace are actually lower than electric, so while installation may be pricey, the long-term costs won’t so much
• Though electric furnaces are technically more energy efficient, high-efficiency natural gas furnaces are becoming more widely available now so you can still reduce your carbon footprint.

Natural Gas Furnace Cons

Naturally not everything about the gas furnace may suit your personal needs when it comes to heating your home. As we mentioned before, the type of furnace your home needs will depend on the factors of size and more. When and if you choose a natural gas furnace, expect the following downsides that come with the aforementioned perks:

• Carbon monoxide leaks are much more likely, which means you absolutely need to have a detector installed as well
• Installation and repairs are much more complicated (hence why you always should ask a professional technician for help)
• Without proper maintenance, this furnace’s lifespan may only be about 15-20 years
• The space required for a natural gas furnace is larger than an electric one.

Hire HVAC Technicians Who Can Handle Both!

Whatever type of furnace you’re looking at, you know you need to hire an HVAC team who can handle them all, whether for inspection’s sake or you need something fixed, or you need a new furnace installed. For all of these reasons and then some, you can’t go wrong with Rep-Air, so let us know when you need some help. At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-833-487-2653 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.