Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

I've never even considered a house unless it had gas or gas in the street so that we can convert it.

However, we are looking in towns where there's a lot of nice homes, but they have Oil fuel. I have a number of concerns and was wondering what others thought of it. I've never lived in a house with oil. The only time I ever cooked in an electric stove/oven - it burned or undercooked everything, I was in an apartment. I found it very hard to use and have heard that electric dryers are not as efficient. I also, cannot imagine the electric bill in such a home... better yet, some of them have pools - I know from my parents that a pool ups the electric bill substantially... now add a higher electric bill.

Just want to know if anyone can tell me good things about electric appliances... maybe there have been improvements in the appliances themselves. I would much prefer gas, but some of these homes are so nice and they have everything else we are looking for. So frustrating. We are looking at homes from Melville to Hauppauge (and all the towns in between - Kings Park, Commack, Northport, parts of Huntington, Smithtown, etc), north of the LIE. Hauppauge especially seems to have lots of oil fuel, Smithtown too.

Message edited 6/23/2008 9:30:04 PM.

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

DH and I have run into this problem as well; we're looking in the same areas and a bit further out east too.

Unfortunately I know what you mean about electric stoves and easily burning things, etc., Our old apartment had electric and it was a pain, but I must say that the up side to it was cleaning the top.....sooooo easy!!

So there's some +'s and -'s and everyone is different. But I will add that whenever we see a home that we like, in the long run it's not going to drive us away either or. If we really like the home, and the price is right, we're willing to make sacrifices!

Hope this helps, and happy hunting!

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

I never thought I would like a gas stove since I grew up wtih electric, but in all honesty, there is no going back. It's fantastic!

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

DH and I have a oil heated home. Our appliances are all electric (kitchen and dryer) and have energy efficient applainces. I had gas in my apt and now electric - I find that although electric takes a little longer to cook, I find it safer to use as I don't like open flames associated with gas.

Our electric bills are under $90/month (even now in the heat). We keep our heat (in winter) set below 67 and thus our oil bills are low.

You live and learn and find a balance that works for you. I hated the idea of a oil heated home, but it's worked out except for the oil prices, but I can add more layers in the winter if it comes to it.

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

We don't have gas lines in our development so we have oil heat/electric stove and dryer. Honestly, my electric bills are lower than my mom's...My average bill is around $100/month. We don't use either excessively. The dryer runs once or twice a day and the stove once a day(maybe).
Cooking on an electric stove is not that bad. You just have to get used to it. I have never ruined a meal due to the electric stove, you just have to watch when you turn the temp down because unlike gas the heat slowly dissipates.

Good luck!

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

Your stove is probably (hopefully) on an exterior wall. Convert to propane. They put the tanks right outside your house and you have your gas cooking.
My mother did this. They live in levittown and they don't have the gas lines either, but she had to have her wolf stove and gas cooking. so she installed one of these. it doesn't look terrible if you hide it with a lattice cover or something. she spent about $100.00 for a couple months of cooking. . . she cooks ALOT, and bakes too.

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

That's a good idea about propane. The stove is the one thing I would need gas. In our last house it was electric and the stove bothered me - but not the dryer at all.

There are a lot of gas in the area you are looking. Greenlawn, Centerport and Northport all have gas

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

Our house had gas when we moved in and the owners had a oil burner and electric dryer. I have converted both to gas and saved a ton.....

Gas was a major factor when looking for our home.........

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

Thank you all for the suggestions. My father said that most places now do have gas available, and that I just have to make a phone call to get a gas conversion kit. My dad's in the HVAC biz so he said that certain types of burners he can even install for us. So we are not ruling out the oil fueled homes anymore, we'd just have to make a quick call to National Grid to find out if gas is available on the street in question.

Next obstacle, rediculous taxes! I wish we could move further out east - such nice houses in some places where they have new construction. Oh well!

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

Our street doesnt have gas available so we were stuck w/ Oil. I always have used Gas otherwise.

We have an electric oven which I absolutely love. Our stove top is gas b/c we use a propane tank for that. Our dryer is electric and I find no difference between the two. Dries just as quick as gas.

Re: Gas vs Oil... Electric stove and dryer

If you have electric appliances, you can always put up solar panels, so you get "free" electricity.... no way of getting free natural gas....