There are fewer up-front costs associated with electric furnaces. In general, they're easier to install and cheaper to purchase, so the up-front cost is lower. Electric
The disadvantages of electric heating encompass slower heating times and higher energy bills over time. For instance, an electric furnace can take a significant amount of time to power the included heating element and adequately warm the air within a home.
Electric heating gives a consistent and better quality of heat using natural air convection, which fills the room with warm air leaving no cold spots. Another benefit of electric heating is that it does not dry out the atmosphere, making a more comfortable environment.
It might be cheaper to heat one room with an electric heater. But it depends on the size of the room and how long you need to heat it for. Although gas costs about four times less than electricity per kWh, it will usually be heating more than one room through the central heating system.
On average, natural gas heating costs around $540 per year, while electric heating ranges from $900 to $2,500 annually, depending on the type of system and electricity rates.
Using a space heater 8 hours per day will use about 84 kilowatt-hours of electricity per week. It costs an average of $51.65 to run a space heater for a month and $258.26 to run for a year.
The cost of electricity versus natural gas heating can vary depending on several factors, such as the cost of the energy source in the area, the efficiency of the home heating system, and the amount of energy used. In general, natural gas heating is typically less expensive compared to electric heating.
1. Gas boiler. A gas boiler is still the cheapest way to heat your home when comparing various heating systems, especially when analysis the latest figures from Ofgem. As of December 2024, the cost of gas is 6.24p per kWh, a 10% increase on the previous quarter, and still higher year-on-year.
Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
One of the greatest benefits of converting your home from gas to electric is that you can greatly reduce your utility bills. Electric heating systems often boast higher energy efficiency, resulting in lower utility bills. Compared to using a gas furnace, a heat pump can lower your energy costs by at least 50%.
While it takes more energy to heat than cool your home, there are some steps you can take to reduce energy and save on your electric bill: Install a programable thermostat. Lower your thermostat setting. Make sure vent returns aren't covered with furniture or curtains.
Best Electric Furnace: Goodman
Just like with gas, Goodman stands out as having the best electric furnaces for home heating. Now, when people say, "electric furnace," it's a bit of a misnomer because no fuel is being burned. A Goodman electric furnace is a modular blower with an electric heating element inside.
The reason that electric heating is 100% efficient is because it does not produce any waste heat. When a fuel is burned to produce heat, such as in a gas boiler or oil-fired boiler, some of the energy is lost as waste heat. This is because the combustion process is not perfect, and some of the energy is lost as gases.
While in heating mode, a heat pump can consume between 0.86-9.00 kWh per hour, 6.86-72 kWh per day, and 205.71-2160 kWh per month. The cost of operation at $0.15/kWh is $30.86-$324 per month. One way to offset the costs of heat pump electricity usage is by installing solar panels.
This shows natural gas is the cheapest type of heating to run and heating oil is the most expensive way to heat a home.
In 2024, there are more options than ever, with models like ceramic heaters and oil-filled radiators that use less power while delivering effective heating. Ceramic Heaters: Known for their rapid heating and low power consumption, ceramic heaters are ideal for small to medium-sized rooms.
Electric furnaces are more expensive to operate than other electric resistance systems because of their duct heat losses and the extra energy required to distribute the heated air throughout your home (which is common for any heating system that uses ducts for distribution).
Strictly from a heat-loss perspective, electric heating is one of the most efficient sources on the market. An electric heater doesn't require flues, chimneys, or other structures designed to allow smoke and gasses to escape, since they don't produce any of these.
The total cost of switching from a gas furnace to an electric furnace can range from $2,900 to $9,500 (CAD 3,879 to CAD 12,706), depending on the above factors. Fortunately, this is a one-time expense, some of which you could recoup through lower energy bills over time.