Gas Appliance Controversy

[Nancy OShea]

Natural Gas (methane) is still the fuel of choice here because it's in rich supply & cheaper than electricity.   Everyone here uses gas to heat their homes, water and cook meals.  We also have a gas clothes dryer that I really love.  

Safety concerns over gas powered appliances are nothing new.  They're dirty, they emit carbons. If not used properly,  gas can cause illness, death & possible combustion.   If you cook with gas (methane or propane), you already know that a gas leak is nothing to ignore.

There is no current or even proposed ban on existing gas appliances in the US yet.  But aging infrastructure has caused several human health & safety concerns.  The now infamous Aliso Canyon natural  gas leak made area residents sick for 4 months. It was terrible on many levels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliso_Canyon_gas_leak

And herein lies the quandary.  If faced with replacing aged out gas lines and appliances,  would you buy gas units again or opt for a cleaner & more efficient alternative?

I ask because my range is 25+ years old and  needs replacing.  The Inflation Reduction Act is offering financial incentives on purchases of electric stoves.  This might be my chance to ditch the gas range and replace it with an induction cooktop & built-in oven.

[Chuck Uebele]

That's not good. Yea prices rarely fall. My daughter's gas bill was much higher this past month: from around $60 to $240. But then we moved in with her, and it was 8 deg F here, the first week. More hot showers, and other things. We'll see what next month is like. Looking forward to the hot and humid summer.

[George_F]

Holy smokes! That's a 4.7x increase!  I can't remember if you locked in a solar panel install but I know you were exploring it.  Solar power and heat pumps are the ideal setup these days.

Not a x4 increase, but we are facing a similar dilemma with electricity bills here on the East Coast.  We use less electricity now compared to 2020, but our bill is at least 2x more year over year.  We just had yet another increase at the beginning of the year, so the next few months will be telling.

We'll be right behind you with the heat pumps, and on solar power in September.

[Abambo]

https://www.dw.com/en/europes-gas-prices-face-uncertain-future/a-64289690

Gas price was exceptionally low at the height of the pandemic, but since then, prices steadily increased.

[Imaginerie]

Ikea sells separate induction hobs that are relatively cheap
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-1-zone-black-30546508/
You can test for yourself, and if you decide to go for a big one, you can still use it say in a rented vacation place, or it's good for one first flat too (student accomodation and the like, if you got kids)
I am all electric in the UK, and electricity have risen too. So it's not really a battle between electricity and gas, it's a battle for heat efficiency. I bought a "multi-cooker" (the fancy ones like Ninjas are too expensive for me so I bould a smaller, cheaper one).
I can highly recommend for any stew, rice, even pasta. Another thing is that nothing ever gets burn, or you're not running the risk of forgetting the pan on the hob.
Now there is only 2 of us, and part of the appeal is that, as a freelancer, I work at unholy hours, meaning that the convenience of a meal I can program is great. But I have seen my bills lower dramatically since I got this stuff.
Coupled with a bread making machine, since I'm making my own bread, sinced the heat bread-making is requiring is quite astounding.

[Warren Heaton]

I've had an electric for 20+ years and it's been fine.  I have a Duracell PowerSource 660 to power the fridge and the microwave during power outtages.

Before 1994, I used to think it would be more practical to have a gas stove in the event of power outtages but then the 1994 Northrindge earthquake happened.  The kitchen cabinets and the range were torn from the walls and the fridge was in the dinning room.  Gas leaked from just about every structure in the neighborhood and the last thing I wanted was someone lighting an open flame of any sort.

[Nancy OShea]

In '94 we lived in West L.A..  Every chimney toppled except ours.  But I never used the fireplace again.  Our gas lines remained intact but depending on which side of the street you lived on, no electricity for 1-3 weeks.  Areas hit hardest by liquifaction had no gas for quite a while.

As bad as Northridge was though it was minimal compared to Turkey & Syria's 7.8 😞.

[Warren Heaton]

I was living in Newhall, immediately north of Northridge.  Being that that was a 6.7, I'm nothing less than utterly horrified at the tought of a 7.8 followed by a 7.6.

[Chuck Uebele]

I was living in Torrance, at that time. We didn't get any damage down there, luckily. Most the gas meters now are equiped with earthquake shutoffs, so they we automatically shut off.

[Jill_C]

Nancy, I remodeled my kitchen 2 years ago and got an induction cooktop. I've never had gas in the kitchen, and don't like to cook on gas. I've used an electric ceramic cooktop for 15 years. I LOVE the induction cooktop. It heats instantly and evenly, and is a dream to keep clean. Just spray and wipe. No drip pans. The burners turn off automatically a few seconds after you remove the pot. The handles never get warm. I rarely have to use pot holders. 

I also replaced my washer/dryer a few months ago with a GE front loader. My water consumption has plummeted, and the dryer drys much faster than my 20+ year old model so I'm assuming I use less electricity overall. 

Next will be the furnace. Natural gas prices have exploded, and may never come down much. Our gas bill was ~50% higher though consumption was similar to last year. I'm researching heat pumps, which offer cooling and heating (we don't yet have A/C).

[Nancy OShea]

Heat pumps can use your existing HVAC ductwork if you have one. If not, budget for ductwork accordingly. Probably not a DIY project.

[Jill_C]

We have the ductwork in place because purchasing an A/C was an option when we bought this house (new) in 1989. About a third of our neighbors have A/C, but I've resisted. Last summer with heat exceeding 100 degrees for 5-7 days in a row, multiple times, just about sent me over the edge...

[Peru Bob]

 the dryer drys much faster than my 20+ year old model

By @Jill_C

That could be because your old dryer was internally plugged with lint if you've never had it taken apart and cleaned.

I recommend cleaning the vent once or twice a year and having the dryer taken apart and cleaned every two to four years, depending upon the quality of your venting system.

[Jill_C]

It had actually been cleaned recently (prior to retiring it) and my husband installed a completely new hose and vent.