Less expensive to operate: Almost everywhere in the country, natural gas is significantly cheaper than electricity. If you live in a cold climate and run your heater a lot during the winter, a gas furnace can save you money over the long run.
Electric furnaces are generally less expensive to purchase than gas furnaces and cheaper to install. The cost of a new electric furnace ranges from $1,000 to $2,500, while a gas furnace will cost between $3,000 and $4,000 before installation.
For most of us, the cheapest heating system is going to be mains gas fuelled. If you're living off the grid, LPG is the most cost effective heating option. If you take full advantage of Economy 7 electricity tariffs, you may be able to match LPG systems in running costs.
Unfortunately, in most cases, the gas furnace will not work without electricity. Even so, there are some actions that homeowners can take to prepare for electrical outages and ensure their health, safety and comfort during such events.
Gas Heaters Are Safe to UseThe modern gas heater is built specifically to operate with minimal danger to people. The main concern with a gas heater is the leak of carbon monoxide, which is a toxic byproduct of the combustion of gas.
Natural gas furnaces are popular with homeowners. They are efficient and affordable to operate, particularly when compared to electric furnaces. But there are some hazards associated with having a gas furnace, from fire to carbon monoxide poisoning. The risks are low, but accidents do happen.
A typical gas furnace usually requires a small amount of electricity to start and operate in your home. Most gas furnaces use less than 600 watts of electricity to run. So to run a gas furnace for 2 hours per day, will cost us around $0.156 with the average price of electricity in the U.S. that is 13 cents per kWh.
- 1) Your furnace is more than 15 years old.
- 2) Your heating bill has increased.
- 3) Your furnace has been repaired frequently the past two years.
- 4) Your furnace makes strange noises.
- 5) Thermostat setting never keeps you comfortable.
- 6) Your burner flame is yellow instead of blue.
- Add up the furnace replacement signs.
A mid-sized home of 2,000 square feet would need approximately 50,000 to 60,000 Btu to heat it properly. With a less efficient furnace operating at 80 percent efficiency this would require a 60,000- to 72,000-Btu furnace.
A 1,500-square-foot home will require between 45,000 to 90,000 BTUs. A 1,800-square-foot home will require between 55,000 to 110,000 BTUs.
Best furnace brands
- Trane – Best for Quality.
- Lennox – Best for Efficiency.
- Goodman – Best Value.
- Rheem – Best Warranty.
- Bryant – Best for Reliability.
While it is always necessary to replace both air conditioning components at the same time (in a split system), it's not always necessary to replace both AC components and the furnace. Adding a furnace during your air conditioner replacement will cost a lot less, around $1,000 to $3,000.
A 96% AFUE gas furnace is top of the line, powerful, and efficient. In fact, a 96% AFUE gas furnace is one of the most efficient gas furnaces available. After all, the difference in price between an 80% AFUE gas furnace and a 96% AFUE gas furnace is not nothing. The average is usually somewhere around $1000.
Average cost: $2,000 - $6,592
| Home Size | Installation Costs |
|---|
| 1,300 - 1,600 sq. ft | $3,225 |
| 1,600 - 1,900 sq. ft | $3,465 |
| 1,900 - 2,200 sq. ft | $3,980 |
| 2,200 - 2,600 sq. ft | $4,475 |
Best Furnace Brands
- American Standard Furnaces.
- Amana Gas Furnaces.
- Bryant Furnaces.
- Carrier Furnace Units.
- Daikin Furnaces.
- Goodman Gas Furnaces.
- Lennox Furnace Units.
- Rheem Furnaces.
You can rest easy and let The Home Depot install your furnace, air conditioner, boiler, heat pump, or other HVAC unit. Our team of professional HVAC installers are local, licensed and insured and will install your new unit the right way.
The average monthly gas bill in the US is $63.34, though natural gas costs more in some states than others.
How much does it cost to heat a 2000 sq ft house with natural gas? The average range of costs for purchasing and installing a gas furnace designed to heat a 2,000-square-foot home with a 95% efficiency rating ranges from $3,000 to $8,000, with most homeowners spending around $6,000 total.
How Much is the Average Heating Bill? The cost of heating can be included in your electric and gas bill or be lumped into your rent. For a gas heater, the average monthly cost is $40. Electricity is more pricey and could come in at around $160 per month.
Propane is more expensive than natural gas but natural gas burns much faster than propane. This means that to heat two spaces of the same size, you'll use twice as much natural gas than propane. One cubic foot of propane is approximately 2,516 BTUs while one cubic foot of natural gas is 1,030 BTUs.
The U.S. Department of Energy requires an AFUE of at least 90 percent for residential gas furnaces to receive an ENERGY STAR rating. This means an annual gas use of 660 therms at a cost of $660, or almost 31.7 cents an hour.
Possible reasons for a gas bill which is higher than usual include: You have used your gas heater more or had more hot water showers due to unseasonably cold weather during the bill period. You installed additional gas appliances during the bill period.
1200 sq/ft - gas heat, water, and range - bill is $82/mo.
Most of the natural gas consumed in homes is used for space heating and water heating. It is also used in stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, lighting fixtures and other appliances. Most bricks and cement are produced using natural gas as a heat source.
Here's a breakdown of the biggest energy use categories in the typical home:
- Air conditioning and heating: 46 percent.
- Water heating: 14 percent.
- Appliances: 13 percent.
- Lighting: 9 percent.
- TV and Media Equipment: 4 percent.
Size and Ceiling Height
| Area To Be Cooled (square feet) | Capacity Needed (BTUs per hour) |
|---|
| 1,200 to 1,400 | 23,000 |
| 1,400 to 1,500 | 24,000 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 | 30,000 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 | 34,000 |
Homeowners insurance covers built-in appliances, including your furnace and other parts of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC) when they are damaged by a covered loss. You also won't be covered for furnace replacement or repairs if it's damaged in an earthquake or flood.
Factors That Affect Furnace SizeA basic rule of thumb is that it takes 30 BTUs for every 1,000 square feet. At the most basic level, if you have a 1,000 square foot house, you'll look for a furnace that has 30,000 BTU output.
High-efficiency furnaces are better at transferring the heat generated into your house, with as little air wasted as possible. They require less energy to run than traditional furnaces. In the United States, the Department of Energy rating for furnaces is known as the annual fuel utilization efficiency.
HVAC installation is quite expensive, probably because it has emerged to be an immensely specialized trade. Owing to controlling humidity, thermodynamics, airflow, refrigerant, electrical, and plumbing, it is now high on demand.
Goodman gas furnaces became a best-selling brand with the right combination of: Quality that is good, even if not quite equal to Trane, American Standard, Carrier and Lennox. The best warranties in the home heating industry including replacement of the entire furnace if the heat exchanger fails on top models.
The average price a homeowner pays for a Bryant gas furnace is around $2,485.
How Often Should You Replace Your Furnace? The average furnace lasts approximately 18–20 years, though the actual number depends on the furnace itself and the level of care put into maintaining it during its lifespan.
