Quote:
Originally Posted by Firebot
The reason why a province like Nova Scotia does not use natural gas is because the infrastructure just isn't there and was never part of their energy solution. People in Atlantic Canada don't use heating oil because they choose to, it's the most viable and sometimes only viable option. Electricity as belsarius has stated is not a reliable heating source in the winter where power outages or brownouts are common which may last days. Anyone who has lived in the Maritimes during icestorms or blizzards can attest to it.
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But you don't need gas to heat. Basically no one east of Ontario uses gas to any great degree, yet Nova Scotia and PEI are the only ones that rely so heavily on heating oil. Newfoundland has essentially zero gas usage, but they manage because 84% of households use electricity to heat. New Brunswick is the same, with over 80% of households using electricity.
As for power outages, what use is a gas furnace if you can't run the fan? Sure, you can run a generator, but that has its own capital expense and hassle. It'd be just as easy (and significantly cheaper) to use electricity for heat and then have wood heat for backup in more rural areas.