Gas
First, you should understand that gas heating is a generic term. There is a variety of gas heating systems the use some sort of gas for their power source. Many homes have systems that use natural gas. This is probably one of the more common types, but propane gas may be number one on that list. The deliver method for gas heating might include a forced water system that uses a boiler to heat the water then forces it through copper pipes and radiators. The forced air method pushes heated air through ducts to vents located around the house.
If you have a forced air gas heating system, the heat up time is very fast, but in order to maintain the right temperatures, the furnace must run more often. This can drive up your monthly gas bill. If you use the forced water system, the heat up time is definitely slower. However, once the pipes are hot it takes more time for them to cool off. The result is that the furnace (boiler) will not need to run very often.
Still, either way you go, gas heating has come a long way, and many of these systems operate far more efficiently now that they did in the past. Natural gas has the advantage of being inexpensive as a heating solution. The yearly totals hover somewhere around $1,500 according to the Energy Information Agency. (This may seem a lot, but compare it to the over $4,000 that can be spent using electric heating options.)
