Date: September 16, 2024
As we all prepare for the arctic-level cold that a Massachusetts winter can bring, many homeowners are coming to the Cubby Oil & Energy team to discuss the effectiveness of their heating equipment.
When a furnace gets to be 15 years or older, its fuel efficiency can drop substantially, and it can be prone to more frequent breakdowns. That’s not a good situation when you’re facing extended freezing weather. Cubby can help you switch to a more efficient system.
In this article, we will talk about two types of furnaces that our customers often ask about — heating oil and electric — and some factors you’ll want to consider when choosing the right heating option.
While all furnaces heat your home by warming up cool air and blowing it into your rooms via ducts and vents, the way they heat the air differs depending on the energy source. A heating oil furnace heats air using a burner flame powered by fuel in your home’s oil tank. An electric furnace heats air using electric coils.
Now, let’s look at how these two energy sources stack up on several metrics.
You might have heard that electric furnaces are less expensive than heating oil models. This may often be generally accurate concerning the equipment itself, but it doesn’t account for all the factors impacting the upfront costs. For example, you may need to get a higher Btu electric furnace for your home, as electric heating systems can struggle in extremely cold New England winters. Additionally, if you are switching from oil to electricity for your home heating, you might need to remove your oil-system equipment and increase the voltage of your home’s electric panel.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, one gallon of heating oil can generate an exceptional 138,500 Btu of heat energy. To get that same amount of heat from electricity, you’d need roughly 41 kilowatt hours. Plus, heating oil equipment is more efficient than ever before. In fact, oil-heated homes today use 500 fewer gallons of fuel each year than they did in the 1970s.
In short, a heating oil furnace assures robust home heat on the coldest winter evenings.
While electric furnaces may not release greenhouse gas emissions from your home, the electricity powering them does. Massachusetts’ electric grid is far from green because it still relies on fossil fuels for most of its generation.
By contrast, Cubby Oil & Energy delivers one of the cleanest home energy options in the Commonwealth: Bioheat® fuel. This blend of ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and 100% renewable biodiesel massively and sustainably reduces carbon dioxide, particulate matter, sulfur oxide and mercury emissions. Our fuel has a much lower greenhouse gas impact than natural gas and grid-based electricity!
If your oil furnace is getting up in years — or you’re dissatisfied with the performance of an inefficient electric heating system — the Cubby Oil team can help you upgrade to a more energy-efficient product that will ensure your home comfort, no matter how frigid it gets outside.
The world-class heating oil furnaces we sell and install have fuel efficiencies that can slash your annual heating costs by 20% or more. Replacing an older oil furnace with a high-efficiency model is often considerably less expensive than the cost of switching to another energy source for your heat. Plus, you can help ensure you qualify for Mass Save rebates, federal tax credits and other financial incentives to lower your upfront costs.
Please contact our office today to get started with a FREE estimate.