There are some less expensive ways to heat your home and electric heating systems can be more affordable than gas, when the proper installation is used, such as a heat pump or radiant heat systems and when the temperature is evenly controlled to be more efficient, such as a programmable thermostat. With the rising cost of oil and gas, it used to be that it was a cheaper method of heating a home, even though the pilot would use gas 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but that is no longer the case.
With the more energy efficient electric heating systems, you can save money, especially when your home is properly insulated and weather-stripped, along with proper air sealing. There support is a difference in forced air electric heat and the radiant heat systems, however. In a forced air heating system, you have electrical blowers that run, which use electricity. With radiant heat systems that use less electricity, the elements allow the air from the heated elements to seep into the room and keep it warmer, with less effort.
The best way to compare these two electrical heat methods would be to consider the difference in an appliance, like a toaster that warms the air through elements to heat the bread and make toast, versus a hot air popcorn popper that uses warm air that is considered forced air. They are both ways to heat the air, but the hot air popper would take considerably longer to make toast than a toaster would, making the forced air popper less efficient. In the northern climates, the radiant heating systems can save 25% to 30% over a gas heating system, during winter months.
There are several ways that electric systems are more efficient and environmentally friendly than a gas heating system, through smoother operation and less waste. This is especially true in the case of electric heat pumps, which are the most efficient heating system. While a heat pump is much more efficient at heating than cooling, it is more energy efficient than forced air electric furnaces, by far. You can get electric heat pumps that are tailored for heating a room at a time, or you can get a whole house heating system that can save you money and keep you warm.
If you consider some of the energy efficient systems that are on the market, it is possible to combine your hot water with your heating system, through radiant heat. A radiant heating system that uses the metal piping to run through the walls and floors of a home not only heats your hot water, but warms the home with the heat that is radiating from the pipes. This is becoming a popular electric heating method in new construction homes that want to make the most of their electric heat pump and save the most money on their heating bills. When you are looking for the systems that can save you the most money on your energy bills, electric heat pumps that are combined with radiant heat systems are the most effective way to heat your home and save the most money.