Replacing a drained furnace can take a major bite out of the family finances, especially when the furnace dies unexpectedly. Homeowners who rely on electric furnaces typically face lower upfront costs than people with gasoline- or oil-fired models, but those lower upfront costs are often offset by higher operating costs over time. Understanding the initial and long term costs of the electric furnace can leave you more prepared to replace your old unit without blowing your budget.
Upfront Prices
Electric furnaces represent one of the least expensive types of central Boston AC repair specialists system concerning initial investment. The unit itself costs between $1,000 and $1,500, as of April 2014, based on QualitySmith.com. Depending on what you need, installation prices may potentially plan $1,000 to $2,000. By comparison, a high-efficiency gas furnace costs between $4,000 and $5,200 installed, according to a 2014 estimate by Galt Technology Inc..
Operating Costs
Even with their lower upfront costs, electric furnaces come with some of the highest operating costs of any central heating Sacramento repair specialists system. Plan to spend $35.76 per million British thermal units of heat energy created with the electric furnace, as stated by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A typical house in a mild climate zone may need around 50 million Btu annually, for an yearly heat price of $1,788 having an electric furnace. At $11.05 per million Btu for gas heating Sacramento repair specialists and $28.31 per million Btu for petroleum heat, the higher cost of electric Sacramento AC repair specialists will typically negate any upfront cost savings associated with these units. In areas where electricity prices are higher, such as California, the operating cost for the electric furnace is much greater in contrast to petroleum- or gas-fired choices.
Environmental Costs
At first, the 100 percent efficiency rating on the average electric furnace may make it appear as an eco-friendly El Paso AC repair specialists option. Scratch the surface, however, and you’ll realize that electric furnaces include an unexpectedly high ecological cost. While the 100 percent efficiency of the units ensures that 100 percent of all electricity consumed is converted into heat, the procedure for generating this electricity by burning coal, oil or gasoline is about 30 percent efficient, as stated by the U.S. Department of Energy. Gasoline or electric furnaces, with efficiency ratings ranging from about 80 percent to 97 percent, offer a much lower environmental effects.
Air-Source Heat Pumps
Some homeowners don’t have any alternative but to rely on electric heat despite its high operating cost, due to the lack of availability of oil or gasoline in the region. If you have to use electric heat, consider an air-source heat pump as opposed to an electric furnace. These components extract heat from the atmosphere rather than producing it from scratch, leading to efficiency ratings as high as 300 percent. A March 2013 informative article on NewsTribune.com estimates an air-source heat pump prices $2,000 to $7,500 installed, and such units cost as little as one-fourth as much to operate as conventional heating Sacramento repair specialists systems, according to the DOE. Plan to spend an average of $14.88 per million Btu of heat with a typical heat pump, according to the EIA, which amounts to less than half of the cost of El Paso AC repair specialists with an electric furnace.
