Water Heaters - Electric Vs Gas

Gas vs. Electric Heating

My goal as a water heater advisor is to save you money. How does your water heater relate to your wallet? Most likely, one utility will be less expensive to operate than the other. My guess is most households do not have a preference. The area in which you live might dictate the type of water heater you will install. Certain areas of the country are predominately gas, while others are mainly electric. If you have a choice, hopefully this info will help you decide. You can save from the start by choosing the correct heater for your household.



Assuming you have a choice, how do you choose? Ask yourself if the present heater does a sufficient job. Does it supply enough hot water for your family? If you're replacing an existing water heater, check to see what type you have now. Is it gas, electric or even propane? If your heater has done a good job for your family, why not stay with the same type? Usually that will be an easier and less expensive installation.

Solar Power For the World's Poor

Solar power as a renewable energy is gaining more and more momentum every day. While here in the United States we normally think of either small self-contained residential and business installations or large utility supplied systems, there is a great potential for solar power electricity in developing countries.
It boggles the mind to realize that nearly 44 percent of the developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia have no access to electricity and only 1 percent of the world's solar panel production has been installed in such countries. This could change considerably within the next ten years.

The main issue for bringing solar power to these areas is of course how to pay for it. Around 2 billion people live in rural areas with no electricity. Even though most of these folks are poor, about 40 percent of them are spending $5 to $10 per month for lighting, mainly through kerosene burning lamps. Individual solar installations could be less expensive than building up the infrastructure for conventional power lines, especially in areas where buildings are far apart. While the cost of equipment is reasonable, it is the construction, installation and on going maintenance infrastructure that is usually the most challenging.