Gas or Electric? Which is more economical to run..

We ran a poll on our Facebook this week and the results were
a little surprising. Initially I would have presumed that gas would have come
out on top as being the most expensive to run. However the result of the poll was
a split decision and this reflects the outcome of the research we carried out. This
is a difficult topic to nail down an exact answer due to the variables involved.
The biggest variable of course being usage, the second variable being, how that
usage is controlled and monitored by your appliance.

One method of controlling and monitoring your appliance is
by having a built in thermostat. Most modern gas and electric fires would have
a thermostat. These are usually found in the appliances remote and monitor the
temperature in the room and adjust your appliance to meet a pre-set desired
heat. This method will cut down on any wastage of gas or electricity by
regulating the heat in the room at a certain temperature.

Before we get down to the nitty gritty facts and costs etc,
another important element is how you are going to use your fire. In recent
years the advancements in insulation and air tight housing has been rapid and
staggering. With it, the fire market has changed considerably. The necessity of
a stove to heat your home is waning and therefore the consumer needs are
changing. Nowadays heat is only an afterthought, a backup for an extremely cold
evening. The primary need now is style and aesthetic allowing the customer to
maintain a cosy and warm look to fill that traditional focal point within the
home. However your existing home may not have this level of air tightness and
you may use your fire very differently to the next. With more of a requirement
to keep the fan heater on longer in the electric fire or burn more gas.

To ensure we have all areas covered its important to think of the environment that this stove will be set into. As this will greatly determine the usage and efficiency that you are likely to get from your appliance. With gas fires you can also have multiple burners that consume more gas so this needs to be factored in also. However if we wish to draw comparisons we need to first strip these conditions away and start from a level playing field. 

Cost of Gas

Information taken from ref (Elgas LPG Conversion table 2013) is as follows: Standard 34kg bottle will have 469.2 KWper hour / cost €99.80 as of 23/07/2019.
A 5KW stove running on full power would last 92 hours costing roughly €1.10 per hour.

Cost of Electric

As of
23/07/2019 prices on average are roughly .20 cent per KW hour. Your standard
electric heater is 2kw giving us a cost of .40cent per hour running at full
capacity.

At first
glance it looks as though electric is cheaper. However in the real world you
have the opportunity to regulate your heat through either manual or
thermostatic controls. So you could run your gas or electric fire at a lower
output. If we match both at 2kws the price depending on your provider is
comparable at .40 cent per hour.

In conclusion it would be fair to say that you can run a gas fire economically. Especially with a thermostat regulating your heat automatically. You can also find comparable ranges of output and spend between electric and gas but when you go over 2 KWs of heat you’re into territory that electric fires don’t accommodate to and into territories of extra warmth but also extra cost.

Information provided as a guide only, please consult a registered gas installer and your local gas or electric providers for more accurate costs.
https://www.elgas.com.au/blog/389-lpg-conversions-kg-litres-mj-kwh-and-m3