When you think of heating oil, what do you picture?
Most people have an image of thick, black, toxic sludge. Well, you might be surprised to learn that’s a wildly outdated and inaccurate idea of the heating oil that’s actually in your tank today.
Over the last few decades, technological advances in the way heating oil is refined has resulted in fuel that burns nearly 95% cleaner than it did in the 1970s. As a result, the heating oil in your tank burns so cleanly—producing such negligible emissions—that the Federal Clean Air Act doesn’t even regulate it anymore.
These improvements in refining processes have produced ultra-low sulfur heating oil that’s much better for the environment. In fact, ultra-low sulfur heating oil has been mandated in New Jersey since 2010 and in New York since 2012. But this clean-burning fuel offers plenty of benefits for customers, too. The quality of the oil in your tank has a big impact on how efficiently your system runs, how long your equipment lasts, and how much fuel you need to burn to keep your home comfortable.
With more unpredictable winter weather, it’s one more reason more people are sticking to oil.
Heating oil has always been more cost-efficient than natural gas in terms of Btu content. And today’s cleaner oil burns even more efficiently, helping to keep heating costs down even more.
As a fast fact, you need to burn about 40% more natural gas to receive the heating equivalent of heating oil! Ultra-low sulfur heating oil also opens the door to super-efficient heating systems, which can increase the advantages of heating oil over natural gas even more. Research conducted by the Energy Research Council/Brookhaven National Laboratory found fuel savings as high as 48.3% when outdated equipment is replaced with a new, high-efficiency boiler.
Cleaner fuel also protects your investment in your heating equipment and helps it last longer. Less sulfur means less build-up in your equipment and your storage tank. That translates to fewer breakdowns and lower maintenance costs on average for you.
The average heating oil-fueled boiler or furnace should last around 30 years if it’s properly maintained—nearly double the lifespan of a typical gas furnace! Heating oil-based water heaters also boast faster recovery rates. For example, a unit powered by heating oil will heat up to twice as fast as a water heater powered by natural gas, and more than three times as fast as an electric-powered water heater.
With heating oil—as with propane—your heating fuel is delivered on schedule right to your Hudson Valley home. Natural gas customers don’t enjoy security like that. Any time of year, there are reports of interruptions in natural gas service because of pipeline deterioration, cold weather, or accidents.
When underground natural gas pipelines are damaged, hundreds and even thousands of customers may lose their supply until repairs are finished. You could be hours, or even days, without the gas you need to heat your home.
The same is true of electric heat: When winter wind, ice or snow knocks out power lines, you’re at the mercy of the power company to get your heat back on. Depew offers automatic delivery service that takes the forecast into account. So, you never have to worry about running out of fuel, no matter what the winter brings!
The other downside of electric heat and natural gas: you’re dealing with a utility company. Usually, that means a far-away office where you’re just an account number in a database. Depew is a family-owned and operated company that specializes in outstanding service. We offer safe, reliable heating oil delivery with personalized service.
Learn more about the benefits of heating your home with ultra-low sulfur heating oil with ever-reliable service from Depew Energy. Contact us today—we’ll be happy to help.