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What are the health risks of using natural gas at home?
There is extensive evidence that using natural gas in our homes is dangerous for our family’s health and the health of our planet. A 2018 study found that indoor cooking with gas ranges produced nitrogen oxide levels exceeding federal standards, and these levels lingered for hours. Another meta-analysis found that homes that cook with natural gas saw a 42% increased risk of having children with asthma. Gas furnaces are also a little suspect, as air quality monitors have found nitrogen oxide leaking into homes through air vents.
The same goes for gas lines in any home, especially in earthquake-prone areas. Gas leaks are all too common to ignore.
How does burning natural gas affect the environment?
A 2022 study found that gas ranges release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, even when they’re turned off. Natural gas is a non-renewable fuel that is energy-intensive to extract and will only worsen as these deposits become more scarce. Natural gas emits 117lbs of CO2 per BTU of energy produced, which is much better than coal but far from carbon neutral. If we have a goal to achieve zero carbon status, whether that’s your home or the whole world, we can’t do it while burning natural gas.
Can you really remove natural gas from a house completely?
Yes, you can fully remove natural gas from your house. Electricity can power all of your appliances, generate heat, and even power your car.
This may surprise homeowners from Texas, California, and Florida, where natural gas is everywhere. But all-electric homes are widespread in many places worldwide, including this home on the East Coast of Canada.
What does electrification mean?
Electrification means that all of a home’s heating, cooling, and power needs are supplied by electricity, not fossil fuels. This includes homes that are connected to a grid and homes that are off-grid.
Is natural gas cheaper than electricity?
In 2022, natural gas is still 2-3x more affordable than electricity in the United States (6.3 cents per kWh for gas and 14.5 cents for electricity) and Canada (3.1 cents per kWh for gas and 17.9 cents for electricity).
This might be a deal-breaker for the average homeowner, but perhaps not for homeowners who understand the advantages of energy-efficient electric appliances and renewable energies.
Current natural gas prices will not last. As natural gas becomes more scarce, we'll see the cost of extraction, and thus the unit cost for consumers, rise. We're already seeing market factors causing rises in gasoline prices. Fossil fuel companies know the renewable energy wave is here to stay, and they're going to extract as much value from consumers as possible before we've transitioned away from fossil fuels altogether.
Energy Efficient Appliances and Devices
The future is electric. Today’s most energy-efficient appliances are all-electric, and this will improve as we see more technology breakthroughs. Induction cooktops are 90% efficient, compared to just 40% efficiency for gas. Under ideal conditions, air-to-air heat pumps for heating and cooling are 300% efficient compared to 95% efficiency for the best gas furnace. And for water heaters, efficient models return over $2 for every dollar spent on energy, while gas heaters return only 67 cents.
Even though natural gas is cheaper per BTU than electricity, homeowners with energy-efficient electric appliances will see these monthly savings on their power bills and even more in the coming years.
Rise
At Rise, we strive to make sustainable home improvement easy and accessible for everyone. Whether you're building or renovating, our thoroughly vetted building products will help you reduce your carbon footprint, lower energy costs, and create a more sustainable living or working environment.
