All electric housing?

[movingtohenry]

Thanks Rasmon, and also everyone else for your thoughts.

[BuckeyeGal]

If you have a fireplace, I highly recommend that you convert it to gas (propane) logs. We did and it saved us from freezing when our heat pump went out. We had the gas company hook up the grill to the tank (100 gallon) since you can BBQ year round. It was the best $800.00 we spent. I top off the tank in late summer early fall and one tank lasts us 1 year.

[Padgett2]

I wouldn't have an all electric house. I can light the top burners of my gas stove with a match. When hurricane season comes, sometimes we will be without electricity for days. But I can cook and heat water. Makes a big difference. One of my sons has an all electric in an area with frequent power outages. With what he spends taking his six kids out to eat when they can't cook, would easily make up the discount that he gets for having all electric.

[BuckeyeGal]

Originally Posted by Padgett2

I wouldn't have an all electric house. I can light the top burners of my gas stove with a match. When hurricane season comes, sometimes we will be without electricity for days. But I can cook and heat water. Makes a big difference. One of my sons has an all electric in an area with frequent power outages. With what he spends taking his six kids out to eat when they can't cook, would easily make up the discount that he gets for having all electric.

But, much of Georgia is rural and there are no gas lines running to the rural subdivisions. If one is worried about loosing power they generally get a generator. Hurricanes for the most part are not a big issue in Georgia. We do get Tropical Storms from the hurricanes, but then again it's not a big issue.

[rasmom]

atlantagreg, I could get away to a real nice place that has power for $3-$5000, Like I said, we don't have alot of power outages, and if the power does go out and I happen to be cooking, that's what a gas grill is for! Maybe it's me, I just don't worry about the what ifs. I just deal with what is and hope for the best. Someone said that some areas are too rural for gas lines...we are one of them. I also have a septic system instead of city sewer, again we have no problem. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. just my opinion! To each his/her own.

[Prichard]

But, much of Georgia is rural and there are no gas lines running to the rural subdivisions. If one is worried about loosing power they generally get a generator. Hurricanes for the most part are not a big issue in Georgia. We do get Tropical Storms from the hurricanes, but then again it's not a big issue.

In North Georgia, just about everyone in the rural areas has a large above-ground propane tank somewhere on their property. It holds enough propane for almost 1 year for a small house. Since we only use the place part time, it takes about 3 years to run down the tank. North of Atlanta, in the Mountain regions ice stormes occasionally knock out the power lines. They also get some high wind storms that can do the same. Propane tanks, fireplaces/wood stoves, and generators are fairly normal up there in the rural areas.

[BuckeyeGal]

Prichard,
I was talking about Natural Gas Lines. Sorry I wasn't more clear. Yeah, we have a 100 gallon propane tank to use our gas logs and to run the grill, but Natural Gas Lines do not run out in our area.

[Prichard]

I can't remember how big my propane tank is - if 100 gallons is the standard "big tank" then that's what it is. I run my stove, oven, grill and central heat on it. I don't have gas logs, just a wood stove, and everything else is electric.

I can't tell any difference between having everything run off of a big propane tank, or city gas lines - seems about the same to me. The gas company comes around a few times a year to check the level, and if it needs more they give you more and bill you.

[atlantagreg30127]

I believe 100 gal is the norm, but I seem to remember being told you can get them up to 300 gal. Would hate to pay to fill one that large at one time, though, but they're apparently available.

Gas, solar, wind, batteries... whatever. It's always good to have SOMETHING as a backup if your power goes out, especially if you live in a more rural area. If larger storms come through the region (ice storms, hurricanes coming inland, etc), Georgia Power gives absolute priority to restoring the power in the cities (Atlanta, Savannah, Columbus, Macon, etc) and the rural areas come secondary on the priority list for the most part. No, MAJOR "days to a week or more long" outages do not happen frequently, but of course, it only takes once in the middle of a freezing winter or a 95+ degree scorching summer to make life hell for you if you're not prepared.

I'm not sure how folks did it 100 years ago before A/C in the summer down here. Our power went out last summer for 6 hours and the house got to about 88 degrees indoors. It was so hot outside the windows being up didn't help, and it was miserable for me and the dogs just for those few hours. Now when I see bad storms coming on radar, I turn the A/C down a couple extra degrees to cool off the house more than usual before they hit just in case, and I do have a small backup generator on the back deck that can be used at least for fans. Better than nothing.

[MayorOfMacon2019]

LOL, it didnt use to be as hot then as it is now, especially with all this global warming, and new sun rays everyday.