5 Good reasons to heat your home with oil

Should you heat your home with oil or gas, electric or renewables? If you’re one of the 4 million households not connected to mains gas and/or electricity, this is a question you may find interesting. In most cases, the heating system will already be in place when you buy your home, but heating oil is an option you should definitely consider. Here are 5 compelling reasons why it’s a good idea.

1. Safe, stable and environmentally friendly

Heating oil is extremely stable and, unlike gaseous fuels, it’s non-explosive and doesn’t release excess vapours in liquid form. Oil-fired central heating units burn clean and give off no nasty odours, dirt or soot. The new oil burning systems of today are significantly more environmentally friendly because no dangerous cancer causing agents are released into the air. 

It’s interesting to note that the average life expectancy of an oil heating appliance is 30 or more years, whilst the average life expectancy of a natural gas boiler is only around 13 years.

2. You own the tank

In the case of heating fuels like LPG gas, gas tanks are usually rented from your supplier, and these can vary in cost depending on the supplier. In the case of oil, you buy your tank from your oil tank supplier when the heating system is installed, so there’s no ongoing rental fee.

Another big plus is that oil tanks normally come with a 10-year warranty … and because tanks are bunded, which means they’re a ‘tank within a tank’, oil spills almost never happen.

3. Oil is the most efficient heat

When you walk into a house heated by oil, you can feel the difference instantly. Fuel oil burns at around 200 degrees centigrade hotter than other fuels, so homes are warmed up very quickly. The speed of heating makes oil burning systems the most efficient option and, as boiler technology continues to develop, emissions are getting lower and lower.

I bet you didn’t know that a gallon of oil delivers more heat than the same amount of natural gas – and not only does your house heat up faster, it also uses less fuel than any other heating system. Oil heating is far more economical than electric, and is a particularly cost-effective method for heating larger homes. So, if you’re using natural gas, or an electrical heating system in your home, converting to oil will not only increase efficiency, but also lower your costs.

4. The price of oil

The price of oil fluctuates from day to day, but this can be to your advantage. Over the last 3 years, oil prices have dropped compared to the price of gas and electricity. Many people assume that oil heating systems are a far more expensive option, but hikes in, or a lowering of, oil prices are normally dependant on world issues, and can lead to oil shortages or an over-supply. Statistics reveal that heating oil has been less expensive than natural gas throughout most of the last 22 years.

It’s interesting to note that for the last few years oil prices have been at record lows. So, there’s probably no better time to convert to a fuel oil heating system.

5. You can benefit from having a regular supplier

Many people source their oil from a different supplier for each delivery, but this is not a smart idea. There are significant benefits to be had from sticking with one regular oil supplier. Many suppliers offer terrific payment plans to help customers manage the cost of deliveries. You’ll also save if you pay for your oil by direct debit.

Some suppliers offer an automatic refill service, which helps takes the pressure off you. The last thing you want in the middle of winter is to discover that your oil tanks are almost empty and your supplier can’t deliver for a couple of weeks! Once the supplier has established your pattern of usage they will automatically schedule your deliveries for when you need them.