Abstract :
DURING RECENT YEARS a choice more and more frequently considered is the use of electric energy rather than oil or gas for heating in a new home. About two years ago two houses, one with a modern-type central furnace using oil, the other with a coal furnace converted to use gas, were each equipped with sufficient unit electric heaters to provide the necessary heat. Tests on each of these two houses, both located in the State of Washington were started in January 1956 and run alternately one day on oil, or gas, and the next on electric heat, and careful measurements were made on all fuel used, with weather temperature records obtained from the local weather bureau. Unfortunate circumstances caused tests on the Seattle house with the gas furnace, termed House 2, to be discontinued after a month´s run. The tests on the Yakima house with the oil furnace, termed House 1, were continued the next autumn for three months and all through the following winter, but running one week before changing type of fuel.
