More than 85 percent of the homes in the Oklahoma Natural Gas service area use natural gas for home heating and water heating. Almost 60 percent prefer gas for cooking and clothes drying. The reasons are simple:

1. Natural gas is the best residential energy buy. The U.S. Department of Energy says natural gas homes consume 35 percent to 45 percent less total energy than comparably sized all-electric homes. And the rates paid by Oklahomans for natural gas are among the lowest in the nation.
2. Gas appliances save money because they cost less to operate and they're highly efficient -- this means more of the raw fuel is actually converted to usable energy. The most efficient natural gas furnace has a 97 percent Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (A.F.U.E.) rating.
3. Natural gas homes are more friendly to the environment. Ninety-nine percent more sulfur dioxide (which causes acid rain), 95 percent more particulate matter (which causes breathing problems), and 40 percent - 50 percent more carbon monoxide is associated with homes whose power is provided by electric generating plants.