What’s the Best Way to Heat Your Home?

Understanding the Pros and Cons to Help You Decide

home heating fuel new yorkWhen it comes to heating your Hudson Valley area home, there’s a lot to consider. Firstly, there are the options of heating oil, propane, and natural gas. Further, there’s the growing pressure to switch to electricity, which is actually the least efficient option—particularly for our cold, damp winter climate.

So, what’s the best option for your home? If your current home heating system is new and performing well, there’s no reason to change. After all, it can be an expensive endeavor. But if it’s time to replace your old heating system, or you’re building a new home, it’s smart to consider the benefits and downsides of each. Here’s a quick guide to some of the bigger points:

The Benefits of Propane Home Heating

The Cons of Propane Home Heating

The Benefits of Oil Heat

Cons of Heating Oil

Benefits of Natural Gas

Cons of Natural Gas

So What About Electric Home Heating?

Electricity is great for lights, computers, televisions, and some appliances. But while it’s touted as the future of clean energy, we just aren’t quite there yet.

While electricity produces virtually zero emissions when you use it, until we can fully rely on wind and solar generation, electricity is the second-largest creator of greenhouse gases in the United States. That’s because most of our electricity supply is generated by coal-fired power plants. Only the transportation sector creates more greenhouse gases.

In fact, more than 63% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.

Electric Heat Isn’t as Efficient in the Winter Season

What’s more, electric heat takes much longer to reach a comfortable temperature and can struggle to maintain it—driving up your energy usage. That means, even without geopolitics driving energy costs up, electricity costs you more.

Think about how cold it can get here in January and February and imagine the effect on your utility bill. Plus, because electric heat pumps rely on outdoor air, they become less able to keep your home warm the lower the temperature goes. In fact, many homes with electric heat pumps also need to have oil- or gas-fired furnaces or boilers as a backup.

Rapid, widespread adoption of electric heating will put even more strain on the electric grid. Think about how many times a winter storm will knock out power to your home, and then imagine the inconvenience when you are relying completely on electricity!

The Bottom Line

The cost of every form of fuel and energy continues to be volatile. But Depew Energy has your back with multiple options to help you manage your costs, whether you choose to heat your home with oil, propane, or opt for a combination of the two! We also offer monthly budget plans that give you level payments spread throughout the year. For a limited time, we offer enrollment in our pre-buy, price cap, and fixed price options that can help eliminate price volatility.

We make it easy to do business with us. With our convenient automatic delivery service, an easy-to-use app for ordering fuel and managing your account, expert technicians and responsive customer service representatives, there’s a reason we have hundreds of five-star reviews!

If You’re Looking for a New Heating Services Provider…Call Depew Energy!

Whether you are looking to upgrade to a high-efficiency oil heating system or explore whether converting to propane makes sense for you, the experts at Depew can help. There’s a reason homeowners and businesses in Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties rely on Depew Energy for propane and heating oil service.

We can help you make the right choice! Contact us today to learn more.