Should I Convert From Oil Heat To Natural Gas?

Homeowners all over New York State and throughout the country, especially in the Northeast, rely on home heating oil to keep them warm and safe throughout the winter – something people have done for more than a century.

Yet some of those homeowners continue to wonder whether or not to switch their heating system to natural gas – mostly because they think it will be cheaper in the long run.

Why Stick With Heating Oil?

Here are four key reasons to stick with heating oil in your Hudson Valley home:

1. Total value over time – You may think that natural gas is cheaper than heating oil, but when you do an apples-to-apples comparison, heating oil comes out ahead – mostly because burning heating oil generates about 40 percent more heat than burning the equivalent amount of natural gas. You also have to factor in the fees and surcharges that utilities charge to deliver natural gas, including fees for lost gas – not to mention conversion costs (typically more than $10K). Heating oil appliances typically cost less and last longer than natural gas appliances, too, which means you’ll spend less on equipment over the years.
2. Safety – Because it does not burn in a liquid state and is non-explosive – unlike natural gas – heating oil is the safest of major heating fuel sources.
3. Efficiency – Advances in technology by the heating oil industry have made fuel oil one of the most efficient sources of heat – with efficiency ratings reaching as high as 95 percent.
4. Eco-friendliness – Burning natural gas produces methane – a much more significant greenhouse gas contributor per equivalent volume than carbon dioxide. Today’s heating oil produces fewer carbon emissions than natural gas, which has become more of a carbon producer as the use of liquefied natural gas continues to rise.

As you can see, heating oil has some significant advantages compared to natural gas, even at a higher superficial fuel cost – especially when you factor in the cost and inconvenience of converting your equipment.

When you combine heating oil advances with its already great properties, it’s a hard fuel to beat. To take advantage of the benefits of heating oil, contact Valley Oil today and get reliable heating oil deliveries in Dutchess and Ulster County, NY!