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I'm in Texas enjoying the 103 degree heat (not!) and got a call from the Bear. It seems the oven on our electric range has gone out. He put a new heating element in, and it still didn't work. Called a tech in, and he said it would probably be better to replace it due to complicated non-element wiring issues.
Here's my quandary:
First, I have heard that propane cooking is less expensive than electric. Is that true? Second, has anyone ever retrofitted or know of anyone who has retrofitted a kitchen from electic to gas?
I am wondering if the supposed savings of gas over electric would offset the cost of the retrofit. We might also consider switching our water heating from electic to on-demand gas if that would improve the cost ratio.
Any advice from my Punaweb friends would be most appreciated!
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well, i know my propane appliances were 300 each to pipe so for stove/water heater would be 600. this wasnt on a slab he could get under the house. then the cost of appliances. i think both electric and propane will only go up but i think propane is cheaper and there is not a monopoly but several choices on who to buy from....
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Jerry, not sure this is an option you'd consider, but we bought a brand new gas range (double burner) for about $170 at the propane store in Pahoa. We always cook on the lanai. Haven't used our electric range since we moved here 5 years ago...except as a counter and a place to store our pots and pans (in the oven). (We obviously don't bake stuff.) We also installed an on-demand for our master BR shower and a timer on our central hot-water heater. Our electric bills are generally $120/month for 3 adults.
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
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Propane also has the advantage of not being subject to our frequent power outages. On the other hand, propane supplies to Hawaii, especially the outer islands, do get interrupted sometimes and propane can become hard to find. We were running errands yesterday in Hilo and 3 different stores had signs up saying they were out of propane until next week sometime, including Walmart. So while we do have different choices at the retail end, I am pretty sure they are all dependent on the same supplier.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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IMHO gas is way better to cook with.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
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Mom always said that gas is superior for stove top cooking & electric is superior for oven temp controls (she was a researcher at NiGas from the 50's on... so...) That is the reason for the dual ranges.... you get both... but at a huge cost....
We have been in the same "which is better" quandary... but hope to get PV real soon, to offset the electric cost, but it will be grid tied, so nothing for the reliabiity... punafish may have the best - get both - and keeping the oven on the lanai also reduces the heat input in the house....
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I swapped out a perfectly good electric range for gas when I bought my place, thinking it would save money. I plumbed it myself, so that was less than $100. The stove was about 350.00 + a conversion kit. Figure about $500.00. I did not notice any significant drop in the electric bill, and now I gotta buy propane at $5 and up per gallon.....Over the years gasoline has gone up and down, but the propane has steadily risen.
I think the only real advantage is the instant heat and no worries about power outages. YMMV.
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Jerry,
When our electric stove broke we went with gas. The hot water heater, dryer, stove and BBQ are all on gas. There is a big difference (BTU) heating with gas vs. electric.
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it cost when it’s free...now here come the taxes.....
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Electric hot water is, by far, the most expensive way to heat water here. Changing this to propane on-demand or solar water heating will cut your electric bill significantly. Changing the stove to gas won't do so much unless you cook a lot. Consider that the electric water heater cycles on and off 24/7.
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On a side note: our dryer is on it's way out and we are debating a switch to propane but are having trouble finding data on what each cost to run here in Hawaii. Has anyone here have any quantifiable information? While we do hang dry some stuff, I need to use a dryer for my work wardrobe, so we do want/need a dryer.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
