Is it Less Expensive to Use a Gas Fireplace or Electric Furnace?

Electric Furnace

• Electrical heating elements create heat through electrical resistance. They use metals protected by ceramic coatings to channel electricity while the innate resistance of the metal changes part of that energy into heat. This is a very expensive way to heat a home. In fact, there are very few dedicated electrical furnaces used at all -- although some furnaces do have electrical back-up systems that can be used in emergencies.

Natural Gas

• Natural gas is much less expensive to use than electricity. It is usable in its normal state and does not need extended refining to burn, making it ideal to mine and transport at low costs. Highly efficient gas heaters can even reclaim heat from their exhaust to become very efficient. While electrical heating has some of the highest costs associated with heating, natural gas has some of the lowest.

Propane

• Propane is an interesting outlier in the gas vs. electricity comparison. Propane gas is refined, unlike natural gas, and it costs more to make and transport, which does raise expenses. But propane does not need a pre-installed gas line network to be used, which makes it a good choice for rural areas. Despite its higher costs, propane is still much more efficient than electricity and remains a good option.

Other Considerations

• A gas fireplace can be used to heat a whole house with blowers installed around the firebox, but it will take longer than it would take a gas furnace with access to all ductwork, which will raise costs slightly. Also, electric furnaces are often heat pump furnaces that are using electricity because they cannot draw heat from the outside air. The heat pump part of the furnace is very efficient and easily rivals natural gas -- though it uses no fuel. The electrical back-up system is costly only when it kicks in.