The thought of saving money and energy are likely not the first thing you think about when you’re cooking some fantastic dish like “Boeuf Bourguignon“, a French beef stew, or paella. You could be saving money every single time you cook your favorite recipes if only you had an energy-saving range.
You may have done some comparison shopping for the most reasonably priced range at your local hardware or appliance store. However, looking at the prices in these places won’t tell you a lot as far as how much you will wind up paying in the long run.
That’s because electric and gas ranges are virtually the same price range, determined by the brand and model. According to Consumer Reports, you’d spend between spending $800 to $2300 for a gas appliance and about $650 to $2800 for an electric range. You can always purchase a lower-end model, but please consider that while you save money upfront. The costs of operating that stove will begin to add up the more you cook.
As stated by the California Energy Commission, most people living in the States are currently cooking on an electric stove. They may not be taking advantage of the greatest energy savings.
So How Do They Work?
You should know how both gas and electric ranges use energy to understand why gas stoves will help you save money.
Natural gas will enter the oven from your primary gas supply to your house when you turn the stove on. It’s taken to the burner, where it unites with air inside a mixer tube. The gas-air mixture is discharged through holes in the burner; it blends with more atmosphere. The ignition system lights the gas-air mixture, creating a blue fire. You control precisely how much gas reaches the burner, as you turn the burner control knob. The hotter it becomes, the more gas is discharged.
How Electric and Gas Stoves Get Hot
Gas stoves comprise one of two kinds of ignition systems: a pilot light or an electronic ignition system. A pilot light is a continuously burning blue fire near the burner. A pilot light uses much more gas than an electronic ignition system because it’s always on.
Electricity runs through a cable within the coils on the cooktop. The power flows through the coil and heats up the metal when you turn the dial on the stove. This is also used in gas ovens. You can tell when it turns a bright orange color that electricity is flowing to the cooktop.
Some stoves have this clicking sound when you turn the dial to “Lite”, and a spark ignites the gas. During a power outage, most gas stoves or ranges can be turned on by using a match, whereas electric stoves just stop working. To lite a gas stove with a match, just light the match first then turn the knob on the gas to low. You can raise the temperature once the gas burner is on.
The Winner in Efficiency
The decisive winner in the efficiency war between gas and electricity is gas. It will take three times as much energy to generate and provide electricity to the appliance. Based on research done by the California Energy Commission, using gas will cost about fifty percent less to function (So long as you use an electronic ignition).
The Energy Star program, which rates the energy efficiency of home appliances, unfortunately, does not measure gas ranges. Purchasing a gas stove and then following our energy-saving hints will allow you to spend less annually. The amount saved on the energy bill will depend on how much you use the appliance. Energy company MGE claims that you’ll pay a mean of $2.34 per month to run a gas range so long as it doesn’t have a pilot light. Compare this to $5.94 per month to using an electric stove.
Gas Ranges Really Are Simple to Use
Gas stoves are also the clear winner regarding how easy they are to use. Although electric stoves occasionally heat up faster than gas, cooks can control how hot the stove gets quicker and easier by just adjusting the fire. Electric stove burners tend to retain heat longer, so if you leave a pot on the range, it burns and eventually may keep cooking — even if you have turned the heat off.
One thing to look for is the flame color with these gas appliances. If the color of the flame is yellow (instead of blue). Your stove isn’t working properly. It will be important to make a service call to have a technician come out right away. Also, make sure to use the right-sized pot. If you use a tiny spot on a large burner, you can squander up forty percent of the burner’s heat.
Gas and electric stoves may be close in price, but in the end, the energy efficiency of the typical gas appliance will save consumers money in the long run. Thus, don’t hesitate to switch over to green energy.