gas vs. electricity

[Jennibc]

Well, I've been stuck with an electric smooth-top for the past eight years and I HATE it. I don't think I would purchase another home where I couldn't get gas. This is one of the few places I've had electric over gas and cooking just isn't as much fun. And you are right THL, it is too easy to damage the top and in my experience it has been harder to clean if something boils over and scrubbing is required.

When we were down there looking at houses (we went down to make sure that we really wanted to move back before we seriously started the relocation effort) I noticed all of the houses in Lake Pointe have electric stoves leading me to think they don't have gas up there. If we end up moving and I find out that is true, I am not willing to live in that neighborhood.

[FalconheadWest]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

... I noticed all of the houses in Lake Pointe have electric stoves leading me to think they don't have gas up there. If we end up moving and I find out that is true, I am not willing to live in that neighborhood.

Do the houses have gas water heaters? If there is a gas water heater, you can get a gas line for the kitchen, as long as you're willing to pay for it. A few hundred dollars. If no gas water heater, no gas to the house.

[car957]

Once you run gas service, you can use it for most major appliances. My house has natural gas service and my water heater, heater, standby generator and stove runs on it. There is another option: LP-Gas or propane. One can have a 500 gallon water capacity underground tank installed for about $1,000 and spend another $200 installing the pressure regulator and fuel gas piping. This is not a D-I-Y project under state law - the installation must be performed under the supervision of an individual with a Texas Railroad Commission license.

And a little splatter in your cooking means your showing it some love.

[timfountain]

Practicalities aside (i.e. whether gas or electricity is easier to cook with), electricity is so damn expensive here in TX, anything you can do to lighten the load and shift over to natrual gas would be a good idea...

- Tim

[Trainwreck20]

Depends on where you live. Right now in Austin, I think the electricity is cheaper right now, since Southern Union gas prices have been increasing over the last few years. We use gas for cooking and water heating, electric for the rest (and I have no idea why the house was built that way ).