All About Oil Heat

The need to continually improve energy efficiency is important more than ever before. Heating oil provides greater efficiency to New Jersey homes with a greener, brighter future. Unfortunately, questions and concerns about oil heat often arise, so it’s important to separate the myths from the facts.

Myth: Oil heat is expensive.
Fact: Heating oil actually costs much less than it did in 1980 (when adjusted for inflation) and serves about 23 million Americans in 8.6 million households.
Source: Oilheat America

Myth: Oil heat does not produce as much energy as other fuel sources.
Fact: Every gallon of home heating oil contains about 139,000 units of thermal energy (BTUs), making it an economically competitive energy source.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Myth: Oil heat today is inefficient.
Fact: Today, oil heating systems use considerably less (25% less) fuel than they did just 20 years ago. This decrease in usage is attributable to advances in equipment efficiency and household conservation. New heating oil systems boast energy efficiency ratings from 83 to 94%.
Source: National Oilheat Research Alliance, American Petroleum Institute

Myth: Oil heat produces many harmful air emissions.
Fact: Heating oil burns almost 95% cleaner than it did back in 1970. Today, residential oil burners produce less than one-third of one percent of total U.S. particulate emissions. To gain even greater efficiency and lower emissions, the industry, along with state environmental agencies, is working to cut the sulfur content of heating oil from 1,500 parts per million to 15 parts per million by 2018
Source: National Oilheat Research Alliance, Oilheat America, American Petroleum Institute

Myth: Oil heat has not responded to concerns about global warming.
Fact: Since 1970, the heating oil industry has cut its total greenhouse gas emissions by approximately one third.
Source: National Oilheat Research Alliance

Myth: Heating oil is dangerous.
Fact: Heating oil is combustible (flash point 126° F), but not flammable (flash point < 52° F); making it far less volatile than most other fuels. Read up on more oil heater safety tips and fuel storage tips for winter on our blog.

When all of the economic and environmental factors are considered, heating oil is the best home heating choice in terms of its reliability, affordability and sustainability. Find out more great reasons to choose oil heat for your home in our recent post, “The Benefits Of Oil Heat In Your Home”,  by clicking here. If you are a New Jersey homeowner interested in oil heat and how it could make a difference in your property, contact Lawes Home Comfort Specialists by calling (732) 741-6300 or filling out our online contact form.