I have been searching the Internet for a simple answer to a complex question. I am renovating a house at the Jersey shore. It's a side-by-side duplex (2 floors - soon to be 3; in all there will be 5 rooms in the house). The contractor (whom I trust) has said that I might be surprised by the cost of electric vs. gas heat. Currently, the house is heated by baseboard heat. Frankly, I've always beeen led to believe that natural gas heat (and cooking, etc.) is less expensive in the long run than electric heat. I plan to live in the house year round. Is there a simple answer to this question? Is gas heat REALLY less expensive than electric heat? Or, with the new technology, are the costs associated with both really comparable.