What utter nonsense.

56% of us (US) use electricity made by mining, transporting, crushing, burning, converting to steam, driving turbines and thus generators, to end up with what can only be called a very refined energy. Once refined this naturally expensive fuel must be delivered (transmitted) to the end user. The ultimate cost from coal mine to plug is generally conceded to be more than 70%! That's right, when you plug in your 100% electric heater; you are using less than 30% of the coal's original heat value.

So unless your electricity (a growing percentage of which is produced by burning… natural gas) is produced by a hydro (dammed up natural river) or Nuclear (truly green electricity) I’m afraid your about as green as anthracite.

Since natural gas (over 90% of which comes from friendly North American suppliers) has half the carbon footprint of coal, it is a natural.

As for work, installation cost and capital; capital represents resources. Capitalists conserve based on economies dictated by consumers and their perceived needs. And the abundance of resources dictates price (unless the government creates false economies e.g. Jimmy Carter's gas lines).

My typical electric to gas conversion nets a 50% reduction in operating cost, making my customer's some of the greenest people in the country, having personally invested in energy conservation by reducing there own carbon foot print.

Boilers are not reduced to natural gas alone e.g. oil and solid fuels, and hydronic systems are even more versatile as they do not even require a boiler (geo-thermal and solar). If you heat goes out call me, I'm in the business.

If the electric heat guys would stick to the true virtues of electric heat (few as they are) we would all do better. Our competition is not one another but rather the scorched air people that own 97% of the space heating industry. There is your target fellahs. Give up on these specious arguments that serve no one.