Electricity or Gas: Make the right energy choice! Discover the pros and cons of each option to ensure an efficient and sustainable home.
Published on 08/09/2023
By Saurabh Mittal
Energy Comparison
Here in Australia, we have two options to choose from- electricity and/or gas. Although both have their own pros and cons of use. At the end of the day, all we would want to do is cut down on our electricity and gas bills but which is more affordable?
All houses need electricity. It’s available to all states around the country. It also covers most applications such as powering the house, heating, cooking, clothes drying and much more. Because of this reason, many consumers are satisfied with electricity only.
On the other hand, gas comes in two forms – Natural gas, which is mains gas and bottled gas, which is delivered through tanks. Natural gas is most often used in NSW, VIC, SA, and WA. It are cheaper than electricity, however, it has limited applications.
Electricity consumers are charged based on total electricity consumed per kilowatt-hour (kWh). You have to pay a “supply charge” which is the cost of transferring electricity from the grid to your home.
Natural gas usage is computed based on total natural gas consumed per megajoule (MJ). The supply charge is also included which is around 65 to 85 cents per day.
Supply charge tends to vary on the state you are in and your distributors, lower usage makes a higher portion of the supply charge and vice versa.
Average and typical electricity and gas usage rates per state. Above rates assume a single-rate tariff.
Pros and Cons
In costs comparison, electricity is obviously costlier than gas. For appliances, consider the following pros and cons in purchasing.
Which is safer?
Gas and electrical appliances have both potential harms for safety. Make sure on using gas the house is properly ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Install a CO alarm to detect any leak. To optimize your energy usage, ensure that your electrical appliances are installed and maintained properly. You can take it one step further by having your wiring inspected.
Which is greener?
Gas appliances use 30% less energy than electric appliances, meaning it’s friendlier on the environment. Less energy, less greenhouse gas emissions. The good thing is, there are many energy-efficient electric appliances these days that consume less energy.
Still undecided which is better? Save more with both electricity and gas.
