A simple mistake in the kitchen can quickly turn dangerous — especially when that mistake involves a gas stove. One Reddit user recently shared their concern about an older relative who often forgets to turn off their cooktop, sparking a discussion on affordable and safer cooking alternatives.
What's happening?
The concerned family member explained that they have an older relative who occasionally forgets to turn off their gas stove after cooking. Unfortunately, they noted: "Sometimes I don't discover this for hours."
"Everyone can make mistakes of course, but this is rather hazardous," the Redditor explained.
🗣️ Do you think governments should ban gas stoves?
🔘 Heck yes! 💯
🔘 Only in new buildings 🏢
🔘 Only in restaurants 🍔
🔘 Heck no! 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The worried family member asked fellow Reddit users for solutions, wondering if there are automatic shut-offs for gas top burners to help mitigate the problem. While there are such devices on the market, reliable and expert-recommended automatic shut-offs can be costly.
"Damn, it costs almost as much as another gas cooktop," one commenter wrote after looking up such devices. "Wouldn't it be wiser to just switch to … induction?"
Switching to induction is indeed wiser — and it might not be as costly as you might imagine.
Why are induction stoves a safer option than gas stoves?
Induction cooktops — from full stoves from top brands like Copper to individual hobs — use a magnetic field that only heats compatible pots and pans. This means your hand or a kitchen towel won't activate the magnetic field, almost eliminating cooking fire hazards and accidental burns. Even if the hob is accidentally left on for hours, it won't cause a hazard.
Induction is also better for the planet — and for the overall health of your home. Induction stoves are a key way to reduce your daily pollution output as they don't produce air-polluting chemicals. Gas stoves, on the other hand, produce harmful nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde while cooking. These pollutants contribute to planetary warming and have proved to cause human health impacts. A 2022 study found that 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the United States are attributable to gas stove use.
Health perks aside, you'll also save money by switching to induction. According to the Department of Energy, induction appliances are up to three times more energy-efficient than gas stoves. This improved performance can leave you with more affordable monthly bills and cleaner air in your home.
What's being done to encourage people to switch to induction?
Even the government wants to help people switch to induction. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, you could get up to 30% off the cost of an induction range courtesy of tax credits and rebates. The IRA is a 2022 law that marks Congress' biggest climate action to date. Through the act, Congress dedicated almost $370 billion to climate action — and some of that money can go right into your pocket when making climate-minded upgrades to your home.
Curious how much you can save? Electrification nonprofit Rewiring America has a free online savings calculator to help you identify available tax incentives and discounts. The calculator can even help you discover which eligible upgrades make the most sense for your lifestyle and home, including switching to induction.
But rebates for climate-minded home updates may not be available forever.
President-elect Donald Trump has stated he hopes to eliminate large portions of the IRA, which could cut back on or entirely eliminate government incentives for home renovations. Major changes to the IRA, however, would ultimately require an act of Congress. With such an uncertain future, taking advantage of IRA incentives sooner rather than later could potentially save you thousands — and help boost the safety of your home.
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