S is looking at apartments for rent. Currently looking at two similar in size/rent but one heats via gas, the other via electric (baseboard type I think). My memory of the past is that electric is more expensive - is that still true??? I mean, I remember shying away from anything with electric heat! The electric heat would be an all-electric apartment.
We and the apartments are in Ohio. So yeah, the heat will be cranked up for the winter months!
I remember the same thing, and avoided apts w electric heat like the plague. Unless electric heating systems have drastically changed in the past couple of decades, electric heating is WAY more expensive than gas.
Similarly for other systems that generate heat - gas water heater cheaper to run than electric, gas clothes dryer cheaper to run.
And I hate electric stoves - not because of cost issues, they are just a PITA to use for anyone who does any serious cooking.
I think a personal electric heater could be useful for a small room. Costco sells some good models.
Gas heating is cheaper but a carbon monoxide monotoring device should be used in the room.
I have been stuck with an electric stove in our current house - so wish I had gas!!!
IF there is anyway I can figure out the cost of gas vs. electric simply (please!) so I can share in plain words with S the difference, I’d appreciate it.
The overall difference is about $32 (eletric) vs $18 (gas) for 1,000,000 BTU.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Electric_Heating_vs_Gas_Heating
It also says electric heater is more economical in a small room.
Calculator for space electric heater:
So getting close to twice the cost…that’s helpful to see - thanks @coolweather!
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We have gas heat, but electric stove.
I’m more interested in health hazards than cost or convienence.
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-a27/
The hazards could be mitigated if you had a really good fan, but very few people do.
Most likely gas heat will be cheaper, but without knowing the exact cost of energy, the efficiency of the equipment, and how well the building is insulated, it is impossible to say how much.
You can try calling the utility and ask them what the bills are in the winter, or ask the landlord to do it.
Are they apartment complexes or duplexes? The landlords should be able to tell you what the costs for each place have been. When we bought our house that was something we asked, what were the utilitiy costs.
It also really depends on many factors. The age of the apartment, how insulated it is, the age of the furnace.
We now live in a house that is 2x’s as big as our last house. This house is 20 years old, the other 80. Insulated, energy efficient windows and new furnace. My largest gas bill is what I paid every month at our last house. I pay much less than half of what I paid at my last house.
But all things being equal, gas is cheaper than electric.
In son’s college town you could look up specific apartment addresses online (the local company’s site) for recent utility bills. Location of an apartment within a building matters- such as top floor/western exposure. Number of occupants/usage also can vary.
I like electric stoves- especially being able to turn off the burner and have residual heat to finish the cooking or keep things hot. Only had a tiny gas stove for a year or so when a student- so long ago there was the matter of relighting pilot lights et al- so much more dangerous. Excellent cooking can be done using an electric stove, btw.
Gas heat- location of the furnace matters- in/out of the apartment.
I had an electric stove for five years and despised every second. I’ve got a semi-professional one now and can’t tell you how happy I am!
As for the OP’s question - if he’s paying the bills gas is almost certainly cheaper.
From past experience, baseboard heating was very inefficient.
My kids both have electric heat at their apartments and it seems quite expensive to me. They previously had gas heat and their bills, for similar square footage, were about half of what they are now.
Well, the good news is that he talked it through with GF and they decided not to take the electric heat apt. which was offered to them after application and take a chance on pursuing the gas apartment. I think it would have freaked S out to have higher than expected electric bills! (utility bills alone will be an adjustment for him!)
Thanks for your thoughts.
What kind of gas heater is it? We had hot water baseboard heating…fueled with natural gas. I don’t think there were any health hazards.
The gas heated apartment is just a good ole regular gas furnace - don’t think it’s hot water register heat (which is what we have) - either way, I believe this will be better than electric baseboard heating.
So why do electric heat apartments exist? Why have them if they are much more expensive than gas? Is it cheaper construction or what?
Where I live right now, there are no gas lines in the neighborhood. All the buildings have to be electric-only.
@wellspring, one thing I read was that electric is much cheaper to install. Truth? Not sure, but that could be the reason.
Also should note that the apts he has been looking at are not complex apartments, but a house divided into apartments or some single unit stand alone apartments. He prefers something within a neighborhood and not the mega complex type living.