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It’s that time of year again, and we’re in full-blown fall mode. Lots of things are really great about this season: cool mornings, pumpkin-spice everything, sweater weather, beautiful fall leaves. But you know what we don’t love? Coming home from work and it’s already dark outside. Ugh! And it might be time to reevaluate your heating needs.

Thinking about turning on your heating for the first time each year can be complicated. It’s more than just arguing with your family about the perfect temperature, which gets even more complicated when it feels like a comfortable 70°F in the afternoon but a -30°F in the early morning. (OK, that might be a slight exaggeration. Maybe).

Turning on your heating for the first time might also spark some discussion about a new heating solution altogether. We’re here to make your life a little easier. Here’s an ultimate gas vs. electric heating guide to help you decide what’s best for you and your family.

How Furnaces Work: A Quick Overview

Whether you have a gas or electric heating system, your home is likely heated with a forced-air heating system. When the temperature falls below your thermostat setting, a signal gets sent to your furnace to kick on and start heating your home. Then, the heated air is forced through your vents with a blower.

In a gas unit, the signal from your thermostat causes a pilot light to ignite the main burner in your furnace. This burner heats the air that will circulate throughout your home. An electric furnace does the same thing, but instead of using gas to ignite a pilot light, the main burner is heated using an electrical ignition system.

That’s pretty much where the similarities between gas and electric heating end. After that, they’re very different when it comes to cost, efficiency, and overall comfort.

1. Gas Furnace Pros

  • Gas heating is generally less expensive to operate: Most gas heating is powered by natural gas. In recent years, natural gas costs have actually decreased, while electricity costs are generally on the rise.
  • Gas furnaces heat your home more quickly: The heat produced by your gas system is generally hotter than electric furnaces. This means your home gets warmer in a shorter amount of time, making gas heating better for colder climates.
  • Gas furnaces are more efficient: Gas takes less energy to heat the air circulating through your home. Natural gas also burns cleaner than coal, which produces the electricity needed for electric furnaces.

2. Gas Furnace Cons

  • Gas furnaces wear out faster: Gas furnaces only last up to 20 years – and that’s with regular maintenance and repairs.
  • Gas furnaces are more complicated and expensive: Gas furnaces have combustive elements that make professional installation a must. Calling the pros is also necessary if you haven’t had gas heating before, because these furnaces require venting to the outside of your home. If you don’t already have a chimney or a vent to the outside, a professional will have to install one. These units also generally cost two- to three-times more than electric furnaces.
  • Gas heating is more dangerous: Gas heating produces carbon monoxide (CO). While most of the time you don’t need to worry, a build-up over time means serious risk to you and your family. At best, CO poisoning can cause dizziness and drowsiness. At worst, CO poisoning is deadly (and kills very quickly). It’s important to have CO detectors in your home and schedule regular maintenance to avoid the unthinkable.

3. Electric Furnace Pros

  • Electric furnaces have less up-front costs: They’re generally cheaper and easier to install, which means a lower up-front investment. You’ll also save in maintenance costs, since electric heating doesn’t require as much attention as the gas option.
  • Electric furnaces last longer: If you keep your unit in tip-top shape, you can expect up to 30 years of heating from your electric furnace.
  • Electric furnaces are generally safer: There’s still a risk of fire with electric furnaces, but you don’t have to worry about CO poisoning.

4. Electric Furnace Cons

  • Electric furnaces cost more month-to-month: While the up-front costs might be tempting, electric furnaces cost more to operate monthly. Electricity is more expensive per unit than natural gas, making the lifetime cost higher than gas heating.
  • Electric heating takes more time: The heat from your furnace won’t reach the high temperatures of a gas furnace. This means you’ll be a little colder for a little longer.
  • Electric heating is less efficient: Electric heating takes more energy to heat the air circulating throughout your home. Electric heating is also “less clean” than gas heating. Ultimately, burning coal is this furnace’s main source of electrical power, which is worse for the environment than natural gas.

5. The Bottom Line

Dollar for dollar, the gas furnace is probably your best bet. But it’s also important to consider the size needed, what fuel types you have access to, and what heating system you currently have.

It’s probably better to stick with gas if:

  • You have access to natural gas.
  • You live in a colder climate or need your furnace for several months out of the year.
  • You currently have a gas furnace.

Electric might be the way to go if:

  • You don’t have access to natural gas.
  • You live in a more mild climate.
  • You already have an electric unit.

Every situation is unique. As your Calgary HVAC pros, we can help you decide the best product for you and your family.

Give us a call!

Serving Calgary, AB and surrounding areas

We take immense pride in providing Calgary, AB and surrounding areas with top-notch plumbing, heating, and cooling services, ensuring every home and business operates smoothly year-round. Our team’s expertise and dedication shine through in every project, earning the trust and satisfaction of our valued customers across the city. Serving you isn’t just a job for us; it’s a commitment to excellence and a testament to our passion for keeping our community comfortable and thriving.

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A job well done.

Heinz was professional and honest. He gave me options and the price. The price was the price and there were no extra charges. He worked on a boiler system that was having issues. He flushed and cleaned system and everything is back up and running. When he was finished he asked if I had any question. I look forward to him coming back to service this system again.

Curtis W.

Had them update and install our infloor heating two zones, and add tank less hot water on demand and install a water softener. Our technician was very professional kept his work area tidy, cleaned up after himself. He also wiped down all the equipment used including piping and tubing. He was friendly, kept us informed on his progress. You could tell he enjoys what he does… great job Thank you so much.

Carol Hill

Thank you! Your service has always been reliable, professional,and friendly.
Rural folks can depend on you, as We have for more than 30 years, for both our property and others.
If you say you’re coming – you show up- or you promptly let us know of any delays! AND do a fantastic job. We’d asked for certain day & hours, as our neighbour has a B&B, didn’t want to cause issues with septic removal smells for them. YOU DELIVERED! Thank you. The Jackson’s.

Robert Jackson

I felt the company is oriented on quality of customer service , they send me the track link when dispatch the plumber, and the plumber is super on time too . I really appreciate Richard , he is supper patient to help me find out what is the best solution, focus on customer’s interest . Thank you again , I will definitely use your service again when I having plumbing problems, which I hope it will never happen.

Jing Huang

Drake Ahern did an awesome job cleaning the ducts. Was very friendly and professional. Worked hard and paid attention to all the details. I’d definitely have him back next time.

David Dickinson

We could not do the water valve replacement because the city could not shut the water off. I was warned ahead of time that this might happen so was not worried. Yamil was courteous and professional and I look forward to his return when the city can fulfill there end of the job. Justin and Sean were great with the furnace install. It went smoothly and Justin explained the new thermostat fully. The walk through on the furnace was useful and timely. Justin and Sean were friendly and professional and great to work with. John who came out for the initial inspection…

Paul Palardy

John came out to review our heating and AC set-up. He was very knowledgeable and patient as he walked us through the various units and proposed maintenance program. Would highly recommend.

Lucus Tomei

Barry did a great job in replacing a leaking Hot Water tank. Just a bit shocked at how much the cost of a new tank has increased over the years. We would certainly use ClearView for future jobs.

Ken Stowell

Can’t say enough about the great service I received from Heinz regarding some concerning alerts we got on our Ecobee Smart Thermostat yesterday. I felt cared for and trusted that he was focused on the necessary followup to assure our safety. Heinz is very good at his job.

Kim Koch

Barry was fantastic. Explained the steps that would be required to detect the leak and then proceeded with the work. He was professional and managed to fix our issue same day. He left our home clean and tidy before leaving. Overall very happy.

Jonathan Wilson

The appointment to come to check my boiler was prompt and early I’m the day so I didn’t have to wait the whole day. I received a call 15mins before the arrival. An email and a text was sent earlier. Gerry introduced himself and told me his purpose. He checked my boiler for a while then explained clear to me what the problem was, it was relief to know that it is nit necessarily a serious one. He made further checks and made some recommendations for change of some worn out parts, the re-glycol – 10yrs overdue and some leak that…

Roland B.

Arrived on time and did a quick and efficient replacement of my kitchen sink faucet. Also took the time to further explain the operation of the water softener installed on the last visit.
Richard was friendly and knowledgeable. Great service!

Marybeth Marrow

Jon was on time and dispatch team did their best to get him to the property to do an inspection on leaking pipes and backup sewer system. Jon then immediately got another job into the system to have a deeper inspection of the entire system to determine where the blockage was.

David Crawford

I had furnace venting replaced. This company is efficient and very professional. You know who is coming to do the work and given notice of when they’ll arrive. Heinz was very knowledgeable, professional, was not bothered by all my questions. He gave full explanations, reasons why, and great advice on maintenance care. He showed that he cared about what he was doing and was very efficient in getting the work done quickly. I highly recommend this company and Heinz.

Elsa Krienke

Our hot water tank blew and fortunately we noticed right away. We called Clearview Services late in the evening and we were answered right away. We were kept in the loop throughout the entire experience and Gabe Colpitts was the service technician who visited the next morning. He was very professional and spent the time to explain and educate the different options that were available. We were up and running with hot water the very next day.

Mike Mario

Clearview was excellent to deal with. Very professional in their approach and the picture sent of the plumber before hand is an excellent idea. Richard was great to deal with. He gave me different options to resolve the problem.

Rick Pultz

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