[abfan1127]

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.

[lotsofpulp]

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?

[legitster]

> gas prices super low

EXTREMELY low. I was shocked in the PNW when we switched to a house with natural gas appliances how much we saved.

In some cases they are not even superior appliances but you save so much money.

[jeffbee]

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

[ttt3ts]

Actually it is physics and the market https://www.statista.com/statistics/220174/total-us-electric... a huge percentage of us electrical power is from natural gas. Natural gas to electricity to heat is a lot less efficient.

[jeffbee]

There's not even a physics reason why a heat pump needs to be electric. There are gas-fired heat pumps. There are even gas-fired refrigerators. These weird anti heat-pump memes are just being regurgitated by people who do not understand what they are talking about.

[adrianN]

A modern gas turbine is around 50% efficient, give or take 10%. A modern heat pump has a COP of around 4, so burning gas to make electricity to run a heat pump is more efficient than burning gas to make heat.

[legitster]

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.

[bob1029]

> a fan

I think you might be underestimating the # of components in a modern furnace.

[legitster]

I'm intentionally being reductive, but I have worked on several furnaces and gas furnaces are an order of magnitude simpler than their respective heat pump.

... gas furnace + A/C compressor is another story.

[infecto]

How is that policy choice?

Are be subsidizing the natural gas suppliers or adding fees to natty generation plants?

[jeffbee]

Retail prices of both electricity and mineral gas are highly regulated. They aren't market outcomes in any sense.

[infecto]

I live in Texas. At least for electricity it’s a fairly free market of prices. I would be surprised to learn natty gas is being heavily subsidized here too.

[NewJazz]

How?