Re: America's future energy source?

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

	I use electric heating with a heat pump and it is little more
expensive than gas heating, even though we pay 12.5 cents/Kw-h (after a
certain level, it drops to 4.5 cents, which is effectively what we pay
for heating). It wouldn't be hard to live with this and I suspect that
after a hundred years or so, we will all be heating electrically.

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


On Thu, 30 Jan 1997, Alden Tschaeche wrote:

> Eric Denison wrote:
> 
> > For electric power generation, yes.  But until they can heat my house directly
> > with a small reactor, I want natural gas.  Apologies to all of the utility
> > folks, but electric heat just doesn't cut it.  Been there, done that, don't
> > want to go back.
> 
> I live in Idaho Falls where the electric rates are probably the lowest
> in the USA (3.5 cents per kilowatt hour) and the houses are very well
> insulated all over.  Most houses here are heated by electrical
> resistance wires in the ceilings.  It's wonderful heat.  Each room has
> its own thermostat.  The heat is even.  No air filters to change or
> clean.  No fan noise.  The electric bill for my 3000 sq.ft. house is
> never above $220/mo even in the winter when it can get to 40 below zero
> at night (but not often).  My wife likes the indoor temperature at or
> above 74 degrees F.  I have had gas forced air heat in previous houses
> and hate it for all the reasons I like electric heat.  So, we have had
> different experiences that have shaped our points of view.  Vive le
> difference.  Al xat@inel.gov
>