gas vs electric heating

[cyyz]

So, I want to disconnect my furnace, stop using gas, stop paying enbridge a delivery fee and prices for gas....

I have to heat my entire home when I occupy 2 rooms, 3 tops, and I'm only in 1 at one time.

Water tank is heated 24/7, it gets heated, cools, and gas heats it up again....

So, If I switched to space heaters for all the rooms I want, turn it on, or find ones that are timer equipped, turn them on, go to that room, and not waste heat in other rooms.

When I want a shower, flip the switch on the tankless water heater, and zap instant warmish(below hot, above luke warm) water for the showers...

Now, I'll elliminate a provider/biller one that charges a delivery charge . I'll use less heat more "efficiently."

Now would I achieve any savings switching to a system like this, keeping in mind electricity is more expensive vs gas, but I'd only be using 1 heater at a time, unfortunately said heaters are all 1500 watts and you'd only need them in the winter. As for the water heaters, don't know what the consumption is on those....

[w squared]

#1. IIRC from my recent looking into energy efficiency ratings on new washers, a gas hot water heater costs about 1/2 as much as an electric to operate.

#2. I'm not sure if tankless hot water heaters are available in electric.

#3. If I were you, I would take a good long look at the price involved with running a space heater or two pretty much non-stop during the winter months. The cost per joule of heat energy pumped into your home is probably quite a bit higher than the cost of a gas-generated joule.

Perhaps it might be an idea to stop up a few heating vents leading into the rooms you aren't using and make sure that your thermostat is located in a room that you are using.

Also bear in mind that if the temperature in the unused parts of your home gets too low, you may end up having issues with water or sewer pipes freezing up. Speaking from experience, having a sewer pipe back up into your basement qualifies as a major pain in the posterior. I'd also wager that if your furnace is non-operational because your Enbridge account is closed that the insurance adjuster would put the kaibosh on any payout for said sewer backup/water damage/etc.

Then again, given that you're in TO, you've only got what...three days a year that below freezing anyways, right?

[niss]

Where are you located?

A fair amount of people in S.Ont use groundsource heat pumps. Usually they are as second stage heat (as the technology is still far from perfect) That could help suppliment some of your heating if you allready have central air.

I understand you want to get out of gas entirely have you thought of maybe upgrading your furnace to more efficiently use the stuff?

Also you could concider Oil or Propane, electric is horribly inefficient compared to the alternatives. You could also concider using a boiler (gas or electric) hydronic heating (infloor, ceiling w/e) pump it through your furnace (like a heat pump) and heat your water.

[l_reason]

I was working in the UK last spring. The flat I was provided by the company used instant hot water heaters. My apartment had three of them one in the kitchen, one at the bathroom sink and another larger unit in the shower. Using that type of water heating took some getting used to but it seemed like a pretty efficient system. The flat was also heated with a few electric/oil radiator heaters. Keeping in mind UK homes only have 220V power.

While there I learned a bit about conserving energy. Efficient apartment, drove to work in a 1L car, and flew a diesel 172 burning 5.5gph.

[still_bluenoser]

Go wood or go home in my opinion.

My small wood stove heats almost all my house, and I travel around asking people if I can clean up their windfalls.

after paying 450 for the stove, and roughly 500 for the selkirk, my house is heated for free,

my insurance only went up 100 per year too!

also saves me caus i dont have to go buy that home gym

[cyyz]

Thanks I_reason, good to hear someone is doing it.. Should go ask some japanese users what they do in japan, they'd probably be on top of this problem...

The gas company doesn't charge a setup fee do they? Maybe I'll try it out one winter, see how it goes.

I mean, even if you want to save gas, what's the point, if you use 0.1 units you'll still be charged 100 in delivery charges.. That's what gets me, sure electricity charges you that too, but you're not gonna switch to candles to solve your lighting issue... You can do something about the gas.

When does practicality out weigh the savings involved? Would you bundle up in a parka for the winter to avoid heating your home to save $100?

Lol, and the tankless heaters are still hot imo. 40C, how hot do you like your showers?

[Kilo-Kilo]

Do you own the house?