Supply shortages and rising prices however have narrowed and perhaps even closed the gap at times.
Is natural gas cheaper than electricity in bc.
Why choose a heat pump over a gas furnace.
Although natural gas is a greenhouse gas when released into our environment propane is not on the same level as it has no toxicity to harm the environment.
1 these are approximate annual costs for space heating of a typical household in specific fortisbc and bc hydro service areas as identified.
If you live in an area where electricity costs less than gas then a heat pump is also the better option.
A typical household is defined as a single family house approx.
The prices of both natural gas and electricity vary depending on where you live in canada.
If you live in the south where winter temperatures may only reach 40 to 60 degrees then a heat pump is the best fit for your home.
In fact while a gas furnace is always less than 100.
Most of the reasons you would choose a heat pump vs.
Natural gas is known as a clean energy alternative since it s clean burning producing less harmful emissions than other fossil fuels oil and coal.
Propane once had a reputation as a lower cost alternative to electricity for home heating.
Gas is cheaper than electricity so provided you have a natural gas connection it will often work out cheaper to opt for gas over electricity wherever you can.
Information from the executive office of energy and environmental affairs about last winter s projected home heating costs shows lower costs were expected for electric heating rather than natural gas.
But what do the numbers say.
A heat pump costs a little more than a gas furnace around 8 000 vs.
2 300 square feet with average insulation.
5 000 after rebates but it is vastly more energy efficient.
Natural gas is cheapest in alberta the point of production for canadian natural gas.
Usually electricity can be found at cheaper prices in hydro abundant provinces such as quebec and british columbia while natural gas tends to be less expensive in natural gas rich provinces such as alberta.
Comparisons of natural gas and electric heating often only consider baseboard heaters which are very inexpensive to install but use more electricity than heat pumps and therefore can be expensive to run.
Anticipated savings will be the difference between annual natural gas electricity heating oil or propane costs for various heating equipment.
Determining when a heat pump costs less to run than a gas furnace depends on a lot of factors.
However if you only have electricity then the choice between the two fuels becomes a little less clear.