What happens to electric water heaters and induction cooktops when the power goes out? Isn’t it better to have a gas stove to be able to cook meals and a gas water heater to have hot water?

It is true that electric water heaters and induction cooktops will not be working in a power failure, unless the home has a battery backup system installed. However, gas appliances may not always work in a power failure. While most older models of gas stoves can be lit manually during a power outage, certain models of newer gas ranges are made with a safety feature called an interlock that prevents the burner from being manually lit. The purpose of an interlock is to prevent hazardous gas leaks by completely cutting off gas flow to the burners in the event of an electrical outage. To see if the stove is made with an interlock, check the owner's manual or manufacturer's website. Gas ovens require electricity to operate and cannot be manually ignited.

While gas water heaters do not use electricity as a fuel, sometimes an electric starter lights the pilot light. When this is the case, the gas water heater will not work in a power outage and cannot be re-lit with a match. Gas on-demand water heaters have a control panel that is powered by electricity, which will also not work in a power outage.

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1. Why is the City going beyond what the State is requiring when the new energy code already has a large increase in energy requirements?
2. What are the advantages to all-electric buildings?
3. What are the potential drawbacks of an all-electric building?
4. Are all-electric buildings viable today?
5. What happens to electric water heaters and induction cooktops when the power goes out? Isn’t it better to have a gas stove to be able to cook meals and a gas water heater to have hot water?
6. Won’t this add costs and make it more difficult to build housing?
7. How do construction costs compare?
8. How does the life cycle cost compare?
9. Why the focus on new residential construction?
10. How reliable is the electric grid as compared to natural gas pipelines?
11. Will you take my gas stove away?
12. What is this electric induction cooking all about?
13. Can a heat pump water heater match the performance of a gas system?
14. Will the heat pump water heater need to be supplemented by electric resistance?
15. Doesn’t electricity produce emissions as well? What will these buildings run on when the sun goes down?
16. What about adding more electricity to the grid?
17. Does this affect smart meter opt out?
18. Is it harder to sell an all-electric house?