Should I Switch From Heating Oil to Natural Gas in CT?

If you’ve been thinking about converting the heating system in your Connecticut home from heating oil to natural gas, you may want to put that idea on the back burner: in most cases, sticking with oil heat is a better decision in a cold weather climate like ours.

Why stay with heating oil? Here are five important reasons:

1. More value – Not only are modern oil-fired furnaces and boilers super-efficient, they also benefit from heating oil’s ability to pump out the BTUs: burning heating oil creates 40 percent more BTUs than burning the equivalent amount of natural gas, so you’ll need less of it to get the job done. Conversion costs are also high – a natural gas heating set-up could easily set you back $10,000.
2. Longer lasting equipment – Oil-fired boilers and furnaces are built to last, with average lifespans that more than double those of their natural gas-powered counterparts. They are typically easier and less costly to maintain and repair, too.
3. Cleaner air – Today’s ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) emits almost no pollutants; natural gas, on the other hand, is mostly methane – a gas far more carbon-trapping than carbon dioxide.
4. Plentiful supply – Heating oil supplies are plentiful and costs are down – two trends that most experts expect to continue for the foreseeable future. Natural gas supplies are already starting to feel the strain of high demand.
5. Safety – You’ve never heard of a heating oil tank exploding, have you? That’s because it doesn’t happen. Sadly, that’s not true with natural gas. And unlike natural gas, an oil heating system heat poses a very low risk of carbon monoxide poisoning; if an oil burner malfunctions (most often due to a lack of oil heating system maintenance), the safety devices in the unit will simply shut the furnace or boiler off.

Still not convinced that heating oil is a better deal than natural gas for your Connecticut home? Contact our experts today and let’s talk about it!