What are the pros and cons of having Gas vs. Electric heat?

Question

We are buying a new home and I noticed it has Gas heat and electric air conditioning. It's a central air unit and the home is only 3 years old.

I've only had electric heat in the past... is gas heat more efficient? More economical? What are the benefits, and what are the drawbacks to natural gas powered heat?

Answer 1

Where I've lived, natural gas, has always been cheaper than electricity for heating. That's not the case everywhere though so you need to check with your utility company. Most utilities will already have breakdowns of the cost for each type of fuel available for their customers so you should also contact them. For me the main advantage of gas heat has always been that it's more reliable. The power goes out quite frequently but I've never had an interruption in gas service. Even in multi-day blackouts, with gas, I've been able to have the heater on and still be able to use the stove.