A simple switch could lower your home energy consumption

A switch from gas to electric heating could be one of the most effective ways for US homeowners to reduce their energy consumption – a new study suggests. Researchers at Penn State University analyzed data from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey of around 18,500 households in all 50 US states. The result: households using electricity for space and water heating consume significantly less energy than those relying on natural gas. Electric heat pumps proved to be particularly efficient. They require almost four times less heating energy than conventional gas heaters, which can lead to significant savings in energy costs. Heat pumps transfer heat instead of generating it, making them more efficient. According to US energy authorities, electricity consumption for heating can be reduced by about 50 percent as a result. Gas heaters lose energy through combustion, while electric systems avoid on-site energy loss. Electric water heaters also consume less energy than devices powered by gas, propane, or oil. On average, central heat pumps consume about 0.0237 megawatt-hours per square meter, compared to 0.0918 megawatt-hours for houses with gas heating. Since natural gas is still widely used in US households, millions of people could significantly reduce their energy consumption by switching to electric heat pumps.