US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances
US utilities are reportedly offering builders incentives to install gas appliances in new homes, reigniting debate over gas versus electric and induction cooking and heating. Commenters weigh gas’s perceived superiority for cooking, lower operating costs, and resilience during power outages against concerns about indoor air pollution, asthma risk, greenhouse emissions, and the long-term economics of heat pumps and induction. Many see the incentives as an attempt by the gas industry to protect market share as regulations, health research, and government rebates increasingly favor electric alternatives.
Cooking performance: gas vs electric vs induction
- Many praise gas for low latency, fine control, and suitability for delicate tasks (roux, sauces, eggs) and techniques like stir‑fry and toasting flatbreads directly on the flame.
- Several distinguish between old resistive electric (widely disliked for slow response and lingering heat) and induction (often described as faster and more precise than gas).
- Induction downsides mentioned: higher cost, limited pan types, poor performance with warped pans, issues at very low temperatures due to power pulsing, and less suitability for woks or very large/odd‑shaped cookware.
- Some users strongly prefer induction after switching, citing speed and ease of cleanup, while others tried induction and went back to gas or resistive electric.
Health, safety, and air quality
- Multiple comments stress indoor air pollution from gas stoves and argue they are “unsafe by default,” especially in homes without strong, vented hoods and make‑up air.
- Others say the link to children’s asthma is weak and confounded by climate, and compare gas risks to common household electrical risks.
- Debate over whether consumers can realistically make informed choices vs needing safer defaults.
Efficiency, power, and equipment costs
- Discussion that nominal gas BTUs overstate effective heat because gas is ~30–40% efficient at transferring heat to cookware, versus ~75–85% for induction.
- Some argue typical home gas burners feel underpowered compared with quality induction, especially for boiling and high‑heat cooking; others report the opposite.
- Induction ranges are noted as significantly more expensive upfront than basic gas or resistive electric models.
- Electric kettles are widely seen as the fastest way to boil water; microwaves are debated.
Heating, resilience, and energy prices
- Several note natural gas space and water heating is much cheaper than electric resistance in many regions (PNW, Phoenix, etc.), motivating utilities’ push for gas.
- Others emphasize that overall cost differences are largely policy‑driven, not physics‑driven; some mention generous rebates for heat pumps and electrification.
- Gas is praised for resilience in power outages (stoves, fireplaces, water heaters), though many modern gas appliances still need electricity.
Politics, marketing, and incentives
- Historical and current gas‑industry marketing, including celebrity campaigns, is criticized as manipulative given known pollution issues.
- Others frame builder incentives as standard industry practice similar to other building materials.
- The gas vs electric debate is noted as increasingly politicized, with culture‑war narratives around “coming for your gas stove.”