With an abundant supply of natural gas in the United States, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that consumption of the fuel source will increase 20 percent by 2030—and it’s no surprise why. Natural gas has been recognized as the best energy value for consumers, costing less than electricity, propane, and oil.
Natural gas appliances, like water heaters, furnaces and stoves, are incredibly efficient, which means they typically cost less to operate. If you’re looking to increase the energy efficiency of your home, here are six ways that natural gas appliances can provide efficiency, while helping you save money:
Furnaces
Heating systems are typically the largest energy users in a home, especially on the coldest days of the year. However, natural gas furnaces are highly efficient, allowing you to save money without sacrificing comfort. In fact, today’s natural gas heating systems can operate at 90 percent efficiency or higher. That means for every dollar spent on energy, at least 90 cents is used for heating.
Tankless Water
Heaters
Tankless natural gas water heaters provide continuous hot water, while also reducing costs. Compared to electric, tankless gas water heaters can save you a few hundred dollars a year, and they operate without the need to recover, since there’s no tank of water to constantly reheat. Tankless models are also efficient in terms of space, as they can be mounted to a wall or installed in compact areas.
Ranges, Cooktops and Ovens
Most professional chefs prefer cooking with natural gas because of its precise temperature control, even heat distribution, and quick on-and-off ability. Gas ranges, cooktops, and ovens also offer superior efficiency and reliability. For example, newer gas stoves are often equipped with an automatic ignition rather than a pilot light, which can save up to 30 percent on energy costs.
Clothes Dryers
Natural gas clothes dryers can provide substantial energy savings, thanks to their incredible efficiency. Modern gas dryers use a lot less energy than older models, and they can usually dry two loads of towels in the time it takes an electric dryer to finish one load. That means you save money, while benefiting from a dryer that’s gentle on fabrics.
Natural Gas Generator
You don’t have to lose all the comforts of home just because the electricity goes out. A standby natural gas home generator keeps your power on during an outage. It’s installed outside your house (like an AC unit) and comes on automatically — whether you’re home or away, all within seconds of a power outage. A home backup generator delivers power directly to your home’s electrical system, backing up your entire home or just the most essential items.
Plus, home generators run on natural gas or propane, so there’s no refueling, and efficient natural gas costs up to 50% less to operate than non-gas.
Pool Heaters
Since natural gas heats up more quickly than electricity, you’ll notice immediate efficiency and cost savings with a gas pool heater. Natural gas pool heaters ignite only when you need it, and as a bonus, they can automatically detect unsafe water temperatures.
If you’re looking to purchase efficient natural gas ranges, dryers, hot water heaters or fireplace logs, Lake Apopka Natural Gas District offers interest-free financing for new and existing customers. To learn more, visit www.langd.org, call the LANGD marketing team at 407-656-2734 ext. 307, or email marketing@langd.org.
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