Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 110 posts

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#31

Post by infecto »

JohnFen wrote: post #22
vsskanth wrote: post #2

This is surprising because gas cooking is considered a "premium" feature here in NC, and people look for it during their house search. Personally, it is a better cooking experience than electric. Induction might be the best, but it's still expensive.

It's the opposite where I am. People tend to avoid gas. I've even seen people go to the extent of having gas service physically removed from houses they've bought.

Where is that generally? I am super conscious of air quality, would flip my stove but not sure I would rip out gas heat unless it already needed replacement.

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#32

Post by wharvle »

ska wrote: post #12
bwb wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That might be a bit of propaganda from the gas industry over the last 50 years. I heard similar but when i dug into it appeared to be bunk… i cook on electric now and love it.

> That might be a bit of propaganda Not really, there are a number of techniques that are harder (some not possible) on electric which has less control and high latency. But ... it only matters if you are going to use such techniques.

I can’t even cook scrambled eggs well on resistive electric. I mean, I can, but they won’t come out as good and there’s a much higher likelihood I’ll ruin them.

Delicate sauces? Getting a custard to come together just right? Maybe some people can, but me, forget about it. This is basic stuff, too, I don’t even know how to do anything fancy. I know that when I finally tried gas it was like “oh, I can cook now!”

Toasting flatbread and tortillas directly on the burners is handy.

IDK if I can do any of that on induction. I’ve only seen those in-person at the store and at one airbnb. We have a working gas stove and induction’s expensive, so I doubt I’ll own one for another decade or so, at least.

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#33

Post by thsksbd »

bwb wrote: post #5
vsskanth wrote: post #2

This is surprising because gas cooking is considered a "premium" feature here in NC, and people look for it during their house search. Personally, it is a better cooking experience than electric. Induction might be the best, but it's still expensive.

That might be a bit of propaganda from the gas industry over the last 50 years. I heard similar but when i dug into it appeared to be bunk… i cook on electric now and love it.

I grew up on electric, and Im looking to switch from my current gas to induction. Mostly for safety reasons - I don't like open flames. So Im about as biased against gas as possible.

Electric heating elements suck. They take an appreciable time to warm up, they stay warm long after forcing the cook to adjust accordingly. Also, only gas can really work with woks, but I don't use woks so that's a non issue.

If the power is out (which happens a lit in my corner of the USA) electric is MIA. Every electric heating element (except induction) is annoying to clean.

Finally, people like gas. Who made us better that we are to tell them that they've been brainwashed by evil corporations? I imagine people have at one point used electric, Americans do move a lot, and they just done like it!

(Induction rocks though)

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#34

Post by TheCoelacanth »

legitster wrote: post #29
bwb wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That might be a bit of propaganda from the gas industry over the last 50 years. I heard similar but when i dug into it appeared to be bunk… i cook on electric now and love it.

> That might be a bit of propaganda from the gas industry over the last 50 years What a crazy conspiracy theory. It assumes electric companies and appliance makers do no marketing of their own. Gas cooking is obviously a more luxurious experience and anyone who says otherwise has not tried to make a hollandaise sauce on each.

I've never had any trouble making hollandaise on an electric range.

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#35

Post by legitster »

You could rewrite this entire article about the drywall industry, or the plumbing industry, or the lumber industry and it would mostly be the same.

You already have to have decided that gas appliances are the bogeyman for this article to elicit any sort of outrage.

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#36

Post by [deleted] »

infecto wrote: post #31
JohnFen wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the opposite where I am. People tend to avoid gas. I've even seen people go to the extent of having gas service physically removed from houses they've bought.

Where is that generally? I am super conscious of air quality, would flip my stove but not sure I would rip out gas heat unless it already needed replacement.

[deleted]

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#37

Post by lotsofpulp »

abfan1127 wrote: post #7

I won't speak to cooking. But, gas central air heaters are much cheaper to operate than heat pumps in Phoenix, AZ. I wish it wasn't so environmentally speaking. But from a cost point of view, its better to use natural gas than electricity.

I can see heat pumps costing more than natural gas furnaces in cold regions, but I would not have expected it in Phoenix. Are electricity prices super high or gas prices super low?

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#38

Post by bsder »

ska wrote: post #12
bwb wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That might be a bit of propaganda from the gas industry over the last 50 years. I heard similar but when i dug into it appeared to be bunk… i cook on electric now and love it.

> That might be a bit of propaganda Not really, there are a number of techniques that are harder (some not possible) on electric which has less control and high latency. But ... it only matters if you are going to use such techniques.

On old school electric.

Induction is way better for control and latency than gas.

The only issue is if you need to genuinely ignite something (like in wok cooking--but, then, get a blowtorch--if it's good enough for J. Kenji Lopez-Alt it's good enough for you).

One real problem is that the standalone induction burners are only 110V in the US and that hamstrings them dramatically. Induction cooktops, however, do not suffer from that issue as they will be wired into 208/220V.

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#39

Post by thsksbd »

ska wrote: post #12
bwb wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That might be a bit of propaganda from the gas industry over the last 50 years. I heard similar but when i dug into it appeared to be bunk… i cook on electric now and love it.

> That might be a bit of propaganda Not really, there are a number of techniques that are harder (some not possible) on electric which has less control and high latency. But ... it only matters if you are going to use such techniques.

Wok is impossible on electric.

One technique to recover lost heating control though is to place the pot partially on the element. You need a flat top electric and high quality cookware for that, but it works in a pinch

Re: US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

#40

Post by legitster »

jeffbee wrote: post #14
abfan1127 wrote: post #7

I won't speak to cooking. But, gas central air heaters are much cheaper to operate than heat pumps in Phoenix, AZ. I wish it wasn't so environmentally speaking. But from a cost point of view, its better to use natural gas than electricity.

That's just a policy choice. There's no law of physics that makes an electric heat pump cost more.

An electric heat pump by nature has a lot more parts.

A gas furnace is just a few sensors, a burner, a fan, and a box to do it in.

Post reply on HN