I can't claim to have done a worldwide survey of gas and electricity prices, but my 4x number is from a direct calculation off of my own utility bills. I did th

I can't claim to have done a worldwide survey of gas and electricity prices, but my 4x number is from a direct calculation off of my own utility bills. I did the calculation about 2 years ago, but both costs have remained relatively constant (within 25%, say?) where I live in Boston since then. Additionally, Massachusetts electric prices are around 2x the national average (~$0.20/kWh rather than ~$0.10/kWh). But maybe I'm a statistical anomaly. I'd be interested to see broader evidence if you've got it. As mentioned in another reply to your comment, it could be that people are getting some savings by using heat pumps rather than resistive heaters. For temperatures near room temperature, heat pumps have a coefficient of performance as high as 3 or 4, but as it gets colder, it approaches 1. In a warm place like California, you might beat an inefficient old gas furnace with an electric heat pump.