A question for heating and air guys.

[nsl]

My house is all electric,except for central heat which is gas.How much would it cost to change over to electric heat and how much would my electric bill go up?In the winter my gas bill was $140ish last year and that was keeping it below 70 degrees.I dont remember what the electric bill was,but in the summer it is around $80 and that is running 3 window air-conditioners.I have been told that it would just about be a wash because creating heat with electricity can be expensive.

[284]

While not an HVAC guy, I did watch the packer game last nite...

You should be able to call a few local HVAC shops and get estimates (just ask for ballpark).

How much your bill will go up/down is dependent upon the price of electricity in your area as that can vary widely. I'd ask at work who has electric heat and see what theirs is for a ballpark.

Best and cheapest, not to mention quickest is to make sure your home is adequately weatherproofed, then close off rooms and the like on cold days.
I've found that adding humidity to your home in the cold months helps a lot...unless one has an electric stove.

[FredMaxwell]

Humidity does make it feel warmer inside of a home but too much will cause mold. Electricity vs. Natural Gas vs. Propape always a debate..

What really matters is the actual cost of each "service" in your specific area and the actual cost / longevity /safety of the appliances.

[Thompsongunner]

Where do you live at? I'm down here on the gulf coast and have a heat pump and love it! got a 2000sq.ft house and the bill has never been over $90 with the avg around $65.

Heat pumps do not do real well in the Northern climates I hear.

[MsCav]

Even with the escalating cost of gas, electricity isn't the right approach. I sell heating and a/c equipment in Louisiana.
Gas heat systems are more costly to install but less costly to operate. Which AFUE rating has the gas furnace you presently use have? Older furnaces are 50% efficient. Burn 100,000btu fuel produce 50,000btu of heat into structure.
80% is the least efficient furnaces the manuf can sell now. 100,00btu in 80,000 ouput. Most high eff 86%-92% and use variable speed blowers and 2 stage gas valves. Once home is warm runs at half btu cap to maintain comfort level. Your gas consumption would be cut in half with a new gas furnace!
If you must switch to total electric the heat pump is the most efficient system for heating and cooling electrically. Be sure the installing contractor puts in enough Elect KW for backup heat in case the pump fails or when it goes into defrost the home doesn't cool down.
As always deal with a reputable contractor and keep things simple don't over engineer a system that is ulta efficient but costly to maintane or repair.
Hope this helps.

PS Fred I had no idea your concerns for indoor air quality!

[daemon734]

i just got an all electric heating/cooling package unit to run the central air system i installed this past spring. its a 5 ton commercial unit working on a 2000 sq. ft. home, so it only comes on maybe three times a day.

my electric bill was generally around $100 before, ill let you know in a week when i get my new one how much mine went up.

[Ocala1xx]

:cupjoe:

During storms...natural gas is rarely if ever disrupted.

A new central whole house a/c or heatpump unit is cheaper to operate than 3 window units.

:loops

[DorGunR]

I have a dual system, heat pump and oil furnace. Heat pumps are not efficient below 32 degrees so at 32 degrees my oil fornace kicks on and when the outside temp goes above 32 degrees the oil furnace shuts down and the heat pump comes back on.
Heat pump 2 weeks old.
Oil furnace 6 years old.