Why you should ditch gas on your build

We all want a place that isn't too expensive to run, but that is starting to seem like a fantasy when our energy prices have increased sharply in recent years. As a result, we have seen a push to electrify homes and remove the need for gas in a home. Now, we understand that people loving cooking on gas. They are tied to it and just won't change. People get concerned when change is suggested. They often become confused and stubborn because it's not what they are used to. However, if you're renovating or building new, we highly advise you to build an all-electric home. Not only is this great for the environment, but it's also going to cost you a lot less to run your home! We thought we would run you through the most common gas sources in a home and explain why it makes more sense to be fully electric and remove the need for gas in your home. 

Hot Water 

Most of us are used to a gas hot water service. But honestly, most people don't care where their hot water come from, they just want to be able to turn on the tap and have hot water. The alternative for this an Electric Heat Pump. 

A heat pump hot water system is made up of two components. A heat pump compressor that looks just like an external aircon compressor, and a storage tank - exactly like that traditional hot water tank you probably have at your current home. The heat pump compressor will collect the heat from the surrounding air and use it as energy to heat an ozone-friendly refrigerant. These are up to 80% (5 times) more efficient compared to a standard gas water heater. Heat pumps are quiet with an average noise level of 37db which is the equivalent to someone whispering. They are also designed to use excess PV generation rather than export to the grid.

We have recently installed several Reclaim Heat Pumps on a number of jobs and our clients are loving them. Those who renovate or build usually have to upgrade the old leaking galvanised gas pipe in the home. That can cost thousands of dollars extra for the client. For that price, you can plug in your heat pump and away you go! This is a no brainer - it makes no economic or environmental sense to have a gas hot water service. 

Cook Top

For some reason, people like cooking on gas. They are just tied to it and have heard many misconceptions about induction cooktops. Before we get much further, it is important to know that an induction cooktop is NOT like the old electric stove that you grew up cooking on.

We recommend that all clients use induction cooktops. They are easy to use, more simple to clean and very child friendly. They work by using electromagnetic energy to heat pots and pans directly. This means it's far more efficient to cook your food as roughly 80-90% of the energy is transferred to the food in the pan, compared to gas which transfers 38% of its energy. This means your induction cooktop will provide you with far superior control and precise cooking. Unfortunately, it's a myth that gas is more precise and we only think that it has more control because you can visually see the flame! 

The main issue with gas cooktops is that you're burning methane into your home. Every time you turn on the gas (or forget to turn it off) and burn the gas, methane is distributed around the home for you to breathe in. Burning and leaking methane in our home has been proven to be directly linked to asthma and other repository diseases and it's more poisonous than you may think!

Heating/Cooling

We won't spend too much time on this as we think homes should be designed to limit heating and cooling (such as Passive House). Having said that, all split systems and ducted heating and cooling units are electric. These are the two most popular choices in the home, so again there is no need to have gas connected.

Hydronic Heating is typically gas and it does provide a clean radiant heat. These can be run off electric boilers however they are almost 5x the price when compared to a gas boiler. Technology is changing in this area and we will soon see a huge reduction in the price of electric boilers. 

So what's the problem with gas and methane? Why do we suggest you remove gas when it has worked for such a long time?

1 - It contributes to global warming by leaking into the atmosphere, trapping heat and warming the atmosphere. 

2- Gas contributes to fracking.

3 - Gas leaking is all around us. It occurs at the well where it is sourced, in the pipelines and processing of methane, in the pipes in the neighbourhood, the distribution network, the incoming main and inside your home at the appliance! All this gas just leaks into the atmosphere.

4 - It's becoming very expensive to run your home on gas.

Now we don't want to get too political but we are also been sold by our government and politicians that gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, which might be true but it's still a fossil fuel. Both sides of politics have been connected to big fossil fuel business for decades, creating policies and system that favour these businesses as they have vested interests in these companies. You only have to look as far as politicians downplaying climate change or promoting "clean gas or coal" to understand that there is more to the story. 

But let's set aside politics and the potential health concerns and just focus on the numbers. In 2014 (later updated in 2018) Renew Magazine did a study to accurately estimate the cost over 10 years when comparing switching to fully electric or remaining on gas. It found that new homes that went all-electric and installed solar PV in Melbourne were almost $10k in front after 10 years. It also found that if you had one gas appliance it was financially better to replace it with an efficient electric one. The only time where gas was more favourable was if all your appliances were on gas (more than 3) and your hot water service failed. But even then this could be your first step into becoming fully electric. The study also found that in almost all cases switching from gas to full electricity would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Moving away from using natural gas is a great idea. It's cheap and easy despite what you might have been told. Rather than be reactive in the future, the numbers, data and research shows it's always better to go fully electric when compared to gas.

If you would like to know more about this please reach out. Alternatively, if you're looking for someone to replace your gas hot water service with a heat pump, we highly suggest you speak to Drew from PassiveTech. He is an expert in this area and will be able to help you out! 

Drew - 0404 336 421

Instagram @passivetech

http://passivetech.com.au/