Electric appliances can be a better option than natural gas appliances, but some number-crunching must be done to get the best deal and do what’s best for the environment.
by Bruce Saller
WRITER
If your home uses natural gas, there are some energy-efficient ways to transition from gas to electricity. The process gets a bit tricky for consumers, however, because of the improved efficiency of natural gas power plants. These plants were about 35% efficient in the 1990s, but they’re at 64% today.
This means if you replace your natural gas appliance with an electric one, the electric appliance needs to be at least 160% more efficient than the gas appliance to reduce your natural gas consumption in the near term.
Home heating is the largest residential use of energy. If you are replacing your furnace or your air conditioner, consider installing a dual fuel heat pump which uses a natural gas furnace instead of electric resistive heaters for auxiliary heat.
Because the minimum efficiency of a new dual fuel furnace is 250% (HSPF of 8.5), you will be using at least 35% less gas. A new dual fuel heat pump may be eligible for a federal tax credit of 30% up to $2,000, and a rebate up to $400 from Columbia Gas.
Hot water heating is the second largest use of energy. Consider replacing your gas hot water heater with a heat pump hot water heater. They are at least 300% more efficient than gas hot water heaters, and they may be eligible for federal tax credits of 30% of the total cost (including installation) up to a $2000 credit. Dominion Energy is also offering a $400 rebate.
In addition to being inefficient, gas stoves are a significant health hazard. Induction cooktops are 210% more efficient that gas cooktops. If you do not want to replace your gas stove with an induction stove, consider purchasing portable induction cooktops. They start at around $45 on Amazon.
You can also use the portable cooktop outside in the summer, reducing your air conditioning costs. Rebates up to $840 for induction stoves are in progress. Glass, copper, and aluminum pots do not work on induction cooktops.
The energy performance measurement of a clothes dryer is the Combined Energy Factor (CEF; higher is better.) The highest CEF for a gas dryer is 3.5, 4.3 for a standard vented electric dryer, and 11 for a ventless electric heat pump dryer. So, it makes sense to replace a gas dryer with a heat pump dryer.
Heat pump dryers do take longer to dry clothes (normally 50-80 minutes per load). They also require periodic filter cleaning. You should understand their pros and cons before buying one. Rebates up to $840 for heat pump dryers are in progress.
So please consider electric alternatives to replace your older natural gas appliances.
