People will tell you that if you want to save money on electricity, then you absolutely have to buy a gas stove, not an electric stove. It’s true that gas stoves save you money in the long run. However, there are pros and cons to gas stoves as compared to electric stoves. Moreover, you might not be in the position own a gas stove, for various reasons. Therefore, you might find yourself trying to figure out how to save more on electric stoves than gas stoves.
Gas vs. Electric Stoves: Pros and Cons
Using an electric stove costs you more in the long run than does using a gas stove. There’s not a lot that you can do to change that fact. However, there are pros and cons to gas stoves that you have to take into consider.
Benefits of Gas Stoves vs. Electric Stoves
The energy bill savings are one of the obvious benefits of using gas stoves. Some additional benefits include:
- Many people prefer the physical experience of cooking on gas stoves. I prefer gas stoves myself. Pulte Homes says that 96% of chefs prefer gas stoves.
- Specifically, gas stoves heat up faster than electric stoves. Moreover, some types of cookware work better with the gas flame.
- Pulte Homes also points out that gas stoves are significantly easier to clean and maintain. As a result, you do see both time and money on that aspect of gas stoves. This varies, however, depending on which gas and electric stoves you’re comparing.
- One common benefit is that most homes are already set up for natural gas stoves. Not all homes are set up for electric stoves. While an electrician can help you get your home ready for one electric stove, that’s an added up front cost. Note that this is truer in urban areas than rural ones; the latter aren’t always set up for gas lines.
Drawbacks of Gas Stoves vs. Electric Stoves
It’s important to understand why gas stoves are so much cheaper than electric stoves. It’s because gas is cheaper than electricity in most states. However, this could always shift. Just look at how gas prices have gone up rapidly in recent months. Since we can’t predict the future, it’s impossible to say if gas stoves will always be cheaper to operate than electric stoves.
Some of the drawbacks of gas stoves, compared to electric stoves, include:
- Sometimes you have to re-light the flame. Sometimes the pilot light goes out. It’s just not as easy and consistent as turning on your electric stove every time.
- Some people experience ventilation problems with gas stoves. Therefore, you might need to improve your home ventilation as a result. Plus, of course, you risk a gas leak, which can’t happen with an electric stove.
- If your home is already set up for an electric stove, then they can be easier and cheaper to install than gas stoves are.
- Although most homes are set up for gas stoves, this is actually changing in some places. For example, San Francisco wants to ban gas stoves in the city’s home; if not retroactively, then at least in new construction. Therefore, you might not have the option of a gas stove after all.
- That last point brings us to a huge drawback of gas stoves vs. electric stoves: they contribute more problematically to climate change. This is a complicated topic, though; overall, it’s worse for the earth to run a gas stove but if you’re already using one then you probably don’t need to switch until that stove is no longer usable.
Gas stoves usually make homes hotter. Therefore, you might find yourself running AC to battle the heat, which obviously offsets the savings of using a gas stove. On the other hand, you may use less home heating in the winter for the same reason. Therefore, this point is kind of a wash.
Can You Save More on Electric Stoves Than Gas Stoves?
Can you really save money on electric stoves than gas stoves? Remember, we are talking about the lifetime price of the machine. It’s not just about how much you pay up front. It’s mostly about those utility bills that come each month. As of right now, it’s almost impossible to save more on electric stoves than gas stoves each month. However, as aforementioned, this could change. Moreover, there are things you can do to save money when using electric stoves.
5 Tips to Save Money on Electric Stoves
So, you can definitely lower your electric stove to get it closer to the cost of a gas stove in terms of monthly bills. Here are some tips to save money when using electric stoves at home:
1. Always Make Sure That You’ve Turned the Electric Stove Off
Gas stoves usually tell you when you’ve left them on. You’ll see the flame. You’ll hear the tick. In contrast, you can easily forget to turn off an electric stove or over. The longer it’s running, the more money you’re wasting. Therefore, get in the habit of always checking at the end of each meal cooked that you’ve turned everything off.
2. In Fact, Turn Them Off Earlier Than With a Gas Stove
When you turn off an electric stove burner, it takes time for it to actually cool all the way down. Same thing for the oven. Therefore, you can actually turn them off sooner than you would with a gas stove, but leave the cookware in place and let it keep cooking.
3. Keep the Lid On and The Door Closed
Are you the type of cook who constantly checks on your food? If so, then you’re probably wasting a lot of money unnecessarily. Every time that you lift the lid on the pot or open the door to the oven, heat escapes. Therefore, it takes longer to cook each meal. Save yourself time and money by reducing the “checking.”
4. Invest In High-Quality Cookware Designed for Electric Stoves
Not all cookware works great with electric stoves. You want to invest in what does. Choose your materials wisely. Look for high heat conductive cookware. Again, this reduces the amount of time that you spend cooking each meal. This, in turn, saves you money. Likewise, get a range of pot and pan sizes. Use the right size for the job.
5. Keep Your Electric Stove Top Clean
This is more important with electric than gas stoves. Your burners work inefficiently on an electric stove when they aren’t cleaned properly. Therefore, you want to make sure to clean them regularly.
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.