You don’t have to be paranoid to suspect that the gas stove in your apartment might be having negative effects on your health.
There’s been a ton of reporting over the past year about this issue—as well as concerted pushback from the industry itself—all of which can leave renters feeling confused and anxious.
Who to trust? How worried should you be? And what can you actually do about it?
Are gas stoves harmful to your health?
Concern about gas stoves in homes didn’t arise out of thin air over recent months.
But 2022 and 2023 have brought a slew of in-depth reporting and studies that highlight both the environmental impact of gas stoves, as well as the potential health concerns for people living with the appliances—especially in homes that don’t offer appropriate ventilation.
Some sources suggest that gas stoves also put out harmful indoor emissions even when you’re not actively using them, and are also a source of benzene, a carcinogen.
We’re certainly not going to get to the bottom of the issue here, and we’re not scientists ourselves. If you’re interested in investigating some of the more comprehensive reporting, the links below are a great place to start.
- The Gas Stove Regulation Uproar, Explained (Vox)
- Gas Stoves Are Tied to Health Concerns. Here’s How to Lower Your Risks (NYT)
- The Health Risks of Gas Stoves, Explained (Scientific American)
This reporting has caused renewed public conversation around the issue of gas stoves, and in some cases has even led to palpable political action—including a ban on gas stoves in new residences in New York state that kicks in by 2026.
OK, I don’t want to have to worry about this. How can I get rid of my gas stove?
The TLDR here is that removing a gas stove and replacing it with an electric one can be super expensive, and borderline impossible in some cases. If you’re a renter, you’re also at the mercy of what your landlord or management company wants to do.
It’d be nice if making the swap was as simple as carting away your gas-based appliance, purchasing an electric range, and plugging it into the wall. But electric ovens use a tremendous amount of energy and there are technical to considerations, such as:
- Electric ovens typically require a higher voltage and amperage than standard electrical sockets can provide. Most household electrical outlets supply 120 volts and are rated for 15 or 20 amps, while electric ovens often require a 240-volt supply and may draw between 30 to 50 amps.
- Plugging an electric oven into a regular socket could cause the circuit to overload, potentially leading to a tripped breaker, damaged wiring, or even an electrical fire.
- Electric ovens should be connected to a dedicated circuit to avoid overloading the electrical system.
How can I tell if my building is able to support an electric oven?
Don’t go spelunking in your building’s basement on your own. In fact, don’t do anything on your own—loop your landlord or property management into the conversation, and work with experts. Explain your concerns to your landlord, and ask if there’s a way to potentially support an electric oven that would require 240-volts.
If your building is older, it’s possible that the answer is “Hell no,” or “No, not without spending thousands and thousands of dollars.” There’s no law requiring landlords to make these changes (yet), so it’s unlikely that you’ll have much success in these cases.
If your building can indeed support the conversions required to install an electric range in your apartment, start a frank conversation with your landlord or management company.
Explain the benefits of switching to an electric stove—it might make the unit more tempting for health-conscious renters in the future—and perhaps offer to split or share the costs involved.
Alternatives if your building can’t support an electric oven
If you’re willing to spend a bit of money and get creative, you can replace your gas stove with individual appliances that don’t require a major reimagining of your building’s electric grid.
Full disclosure: I was in this exact position several months ago. Nervous about the health risks of my gas stove, especially with a toddler in the house; stuck with the limitations of my semi-ancient Brooklyn building, whose electrical system couldn’t be easily converted to power a proper electric stove.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and there are multiple ways to cobble together a system of appliances to replace your gas range. That said, here’s how I did it, if you’d like to copy the process.
How to replace your gas stove with multiple appliances
There is hope if you’d like to assemble an alternative to your gas range (and no, the answer isn’t “just microwave everything, forever.”)
STEP ONE: Remove your old gas stove, and cap the gas line
Repeat after me: You’ll need your landlord for this! Like any substantive change to your apartment, you need the approval of your building’s owner. After all, the gas stove most likely belongs to your landlord, not you.
If your landlord agrees, though, it should be fairly simple for them to have someone de-install and remove the existing gas stove. A professional should also “cap” the gas line itself, to prevent any emission leaks.
STEP TWO: Purchase an electric range
A high-quality electric range can perform just as well as a gas stove can (and even better, if your gas stove was a cheap piece of crap, like mine was).
You’ll want to make sure that the range you’re purchasing doesn’t require 240 volts to operate. I went with this two-burner option from Duxtop, around $230 at the time of writing.
This is an induction burner, which has its benefits, but also requires certain types of pots and pans to work. The simplest test involves a magnet: If a magnet sticks to the bottom of your cookware, it’ll work with induction.
STEP THREE: Figure out where to put the range
Removing your original gas stove will leave…well…a gas stove-shaped hole in your kitchen. If you’ve already got tons of counter space, this might be no problem—it could provide an extra area for cabinets, a spice rack, or whatever you like.
What I did was fill the space with a restaurant-grade stainless steel shelf that gave me surface area to put the Duxtop electric range on top of (along with some shelving underneath for pots and pans).
These shelving units come in various dimensions, so if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to find one that fits the footprint of the former gas stove, and is also level with your existing countertops. Some might call it DIY, but I prefer…industrial chic?
STEP FOUR: Consider other electrical appliances, as needed
There’s a wide range of electric cooking appliances that can help replace the functionality of your former gas stove.
- With your gas stove gone, and your electric range in place, you’re still missing one big thing: A place to bake or broil. A large toaster oven or convection oven can do much of this work, and often includes nifty features (like air frying). Plus, you can likely plug the electric oven into an ordinary socket without causing a calamity. I went with this model from Oster, about $290 at time of writing.
- Remember the Instant Pot that your mom wouldn’t stop talking about 2 or 3 years ago? Well guess what: She was right, it fricken rules. An Insta Pot plugs into a regular electrical socket, and it can do everything from make chili using a pressure cooker function to allow easy sauteeing or stir frying of veggies, scrambling of eggs, and so on.
- Rather than boiling water for tea on the electric range, which can be time-consuming and a bit annoying, consider an electric kettle—like this cute lil’ guy from Hario (around $80).
STEP FIVE: Anticipate a bit of hassle
Is the system described above as convenient as having a proper electrical stove in your apartment? Nope. But it’s not a bad hack, especially if you’re willing to suffer a bit of annoyance in order to quit worrying about what your gas stove might be doing to your health.
My current kitchen set-up can leave me feeling a bit like a domestic DJ. There’ll be something simmering on the electric range, frozen peas cooking in the microwave, a tray of new potatoes ready to be popped into the toaster oven—you get the idea.
Even though these appliances aren’t all plugged into the same outlet, they can blow circuits if I’m not careful. This requires a bit of trial and error. If I’m boiling water on the Duxtop range, I might be able to run the toaster oven simultaneously at 350 degrees—but if I crank it up to 425, forget about it.
Happy conversion!
Best of luck with leaving your gas stove behind. But if this process seems insurmountable, or too expensive, or too headache-inducing…don’t despair!
First, consider basic things you can do to improve the air quality in your apartment overall, like:
- Investing in a HEPA air filter
- Opening windows or increasing ventilation while cooking
- Limiting the use of your gas range when it’s not necessary (as in, maybe don’t use the burners for 10 minutes to heat water for tea, or for 30 minutes to cook steel-cut oats)
That should give you at least a little more peace of mind.
And speaking of peace of mind—see what we did there?—consider how renters insurance can protect all the stuff you care about.
The national average for Lemonade Renters is around $14/month, and that goes a long way toward helping you dodge the curveballs life as a renter can throw at you. Plus, we’re doing our own part to work toward cleaner energy and a better environment, thanks to our Giveback program and our stance on coal investments.
A few quick words, because we <3 our lawyers: This post is general in nature, and any statement in it doesn’t alter the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of policies issued by Lemonade, which differ according to your state of residence. You’re encouraged to discuss your specific circumstances with your own professional advisors. The purpose of this post is merely to provide you with info and insights you can use to make such discussions more productive! Naturally, all comments by, or references to, third parties represent their own views, and Lemonade assumes no responsibility for them. Coverage may not be available in all states.
