Gas or electricity: Which is cheaper for heating a home this winter?

What's cheaper? Gas or electricity?

With temperatures plunging across much of South Africa, many households face the same question each winter: Is it cheaper to heat a home with gas or electricity?

The answer may surprise consumers who assume electricity is automatically the cheaper option.

Using current gas refill prices and residential electricity tariffs, a model of a typical three-bedroom South African home suggests gas can often cost less than electricity when used as the primary source of winter heating.

The comparison follows earlier analysis showing that a 9kg gas bottle costs roughly the same across much of South Africa, with refills averaging around R365 despite regional pricing differences.