The short answer to the question in the title of today’s blog article, is “yes” electric stoves are greener than gas stoves. However, deciding which one to buy is complicated and they each have their pros and cons. Today, we are going to attempt to explain why electric stoves are, in fact, greener than gas ones.
Why is an electric stove greener?
Natural gas has always been touted as “clean energy.” And it is definitely cleaner than, say, coal. But an electric stove is significantly greener. The reason why is that gas stoves when they are used emit small amounts of noxious gases and particulate matter (like carbon monoxide and formaldehyde) which is not good for your health and pollutes the interior air. And, remember, interior air quality is almost always a lot worse than exterior air quality.
Then you can also look at how that gas or electricity got to your home. Natural gas comes from oil and gas well drilling, a notoriously dirty industry, and there is also a finite amount of it. Electricity may come from flowing water (think dam) or nuclear energy or the cleanest of all would be solar or wind energy.
How do I decide on gas versus electric?
Choosing gas or electric for the stove is a very personal choice, but we will give you a few hints. Most chefs prefer gas if they have a choice because of the precision with which you can dial into the flame you want and can see and the stove’s instant response to changing the flame. The choice is also easier if your home is already piped for natural gas. If you do not already have gas, then the local infrastructure will likely prevent you from using it, although it is possible to get a propane stove or cooktop and have a big propane tank (often called a “pig”) outside that will need to be refilled once or twice a year.
The purchase cost of the appliances is about the same. Over time, gas is usually—but not always—cheaper. Many people think a glass top electric stove is easy to clean. However, one downside of electricity is that depending on the stove and your pots and pans, sometimes you cannot do canning on a glass top electric stove. That is easy enough to remedy by having a small plug-in one or two burner coil apparatus that you pull out and plug in just for canning.
Whatever you choose, we can help you with the installation on the Lower Mainland. Just give us a call at (604) 233-9216.
Han Appliances are trusted appliance installation experts on the Lower Mainland, who work closely with many of the appliance dealers. If you need some appliances installed in the Vancouver area or you have any questions about this article, please call us at (604) 233-9216.
