Gas v Electric cooking and heating

Dorsetmike

Member
Just got this months fuel statement and noticed the very wide difference between gas (4.689p) and electric (14.434p) both per KWh; as a result I have just ordered a hob top kettle (wiv a whistle) hoping to see at least some saving.

Does anybody here still use a hob kettle? Do you notice any difference in time to boil? I would imagine on a gas hob there will be some excess heat "escaping" round the edges, compared to an electric where the heat is presumably more concentrated.

Also any tips on how to persuade a bloke in his 50s (son in law) that it is not necessary to fill a kettle to the brim every time, even if only for one cup/mug of tea or coffee?
 

teddy

Duckmeister
While your at it teach my kids not to leave all the lights on, especially when they leave the house. The only way you can monitor the gas verses electric problem is to check the meters before boiling the water. First by electric and then by gas. I thought of doing it by time, but that would not prove anything.
Another energy saving tip. When boiling eggs, boil them for one minute then turn the heat off and leave them for a further three minutes. They will still be cooked.

teddy
 

teddy

Duckmeister
I am loking at heat exchange pumps at the moment. The air too water would be the most suitable for hot water and room heating. I just have to work out the fuel saving it would produce.

teddy
 

wljmrbill

Member
For me in a rual area and no gas lines but have to use propane...Electric is cheaper for me. Do have a wood burning stove too for when it goes out.....LOL
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
How much are you paying for Electricity? I pay monthly about NZ$180-220 in the winter and about half that in the summer plus $85 per month lines charges (the cost of pushing it down the cable into my house) I have night store heaters for when it is chilly and a wood burner when it's cold. but the good news is that the generator companies are being sold off. bad news expect cost of power to rise.
 

musicteach

New member
I'll tell you one tip that a lot of people don't know. When you're cooking, make sure your pot/pan/cooking device is in the center of whatever you're using to cook with ie. stove top. It'll heat more efficiently, and therefore you don't have to cook as long and save money... We also have two wooden fireplaces, which is what we use in the winter for the most part. We have electric heating, we keep the thermostat on somewhere near 55 degrees during the winter and use the fireplaces.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I've found that water boils much faster on an electric range than it does on a gas range. Our former home was 100% electric, and the monthly rate hovered around $130 (USD) because the A/C unit was also a Heatpump, so the compressor still had to fire up in winter to heat the place.

Where we live now, we have both gas and electric. All of our cooking, hot water supply, and heating is Gas (forced air furnace, so it has an electric fan).
In the winter, our gas bill jumps to about $120 (USD) and our electric drops to $45 (USD). In the summer, the gas bill drops to $20, but the electric goes up to $140 (because of the central A/C unit), so it all balances out mostly throughout the year.

Our house is 1,980 square feet, 3 bedroom 2 bath, tile roof and interior vaulted ceilings.

We have a huge outdoor patio and a BBQ that runs on propane, which we use lots during the summer for cooking, too. We do not have a fireplace or wood stove ... wood around here is scarce and v e r y expensive.

A year ago last May, we replaced all of our exterior windows with Dual Pane, Argon gas filled windows - that made a huge difference in our heating/cooling costs.

Kh ♫
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
We also have two wooden fireplaces, which is what we use in the winter for the most part

I take it that they are open fires! we are not allowed those, has to be a wood burner to cut down on emissions and keep the greens hippy
 
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teddy

Duckmeister
We have an open coal fire. Looked at a wood burner but where refused fitting without a chimney liner costing £1,000 extra. The reason given was health and safety. We can have a coal fire, which wastes a lot of heat up the chimney but not a log burner, which would be far more efficient.?????

teddy
 

teddy

Duckmeister
I meant to add we have gas central heating and hot water and an electric oven. We are currently paying approximately £120.00 per month, that is £1,440.00 a year. Plus of course the coal fire costing about £300.00 a year for the coal. SoF here I come.

teddy
 
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