[mercyandgrace]

Looks like the AVG low in the Bay Area is about 45? I suppose that isn't that cold, however, in the event of an extended electrical outage, those with gas appliances can still heat their homes. Those without cannot. I think the merit of the parent comment still stands.

I live in New England and utilize heating oil primarily. Even that won't work without electricity.

[UncleMeat]

My furnace doesn't run if the electricity is off. The fan needs electricity. The safety circuits in the furnace need electricity.

If we want to talk about power outages causing loss of life due to freezing then we can talk about that problem. But I'm pretty confident that "put today's gas furnaces in everybody's home" is the appropriate way of attacking that problem. Especially in a place like the bay area where you just aren't seeing 10 degree lows.

[schiffern]

When they said "those with gas appliances can still heat their homes," I assume they meant using the gas stove as a contigency heat source.

Recommended? Of course not. But a lot of (especially rural propane) users do it to avoid freezing pipes and people.

SF maybe not so much, but in climates where you can literally die without heat (often because you're simultaneously "snowed in"), you really really want dissimilar redundancy.

(obviously NEVER heat with a stove, because as we all know you'll burn down your house and/or asphyxiate from carbon monoxide)

[mercyandgrace]

This is it. I run oil mostly, but have a propane fire place insert in the event of a power outage. While it is insuficient to heat my entire home, and every pipe in my house may burst from the cold, at least my family will be able to stay warm.

[yamtaddle]

My experience is that those duffel-bag-sized portable kerosene heaters are almost as common as pickup trucks, out in the sticks. At least in places that have real winters.

[mercyandgrace]

>But I'm pretty confident that "put today's gas furnaces in everybody's home" is the appropriate way of attacking that problem.

Did you mean "is not". And I never suggested this. But certainly there are vulnerable populations that should be considered.

If the purpose of this legislation is to improve "indoor air quality", as another poster suggested, why not educate the populace and allow them to make the decision for themselves?

[fsh]

A forced air gas furnace doesn't work without electricity.

[brocklobsta]

True, but I could run my gas heat with a portable generator. Most of my neighbors with electric heat could not. Same with my pellet stove, it requires power for the auger and blower, but significantly less than an all electric system. I think the right thing to do is to ensure the public is aware of the tradeoff and if indoor air quality is a concern, then ensure proper ventilation in the building code. I worry about going all in on electric when reliability is not robust.

[mercyandgrace]

Very true. But that is not the only alternative gas heating appliance available either.