Should I switch to electric heat from oil heat?
Question:
Answers:
The oil companies say:
Oilheat Continues to be Popular
More than 13 million homes and businesses in North America depend on the comfort and savings of oilheat.
130,000-plus homes have converted from electric heat to oil since 1991.
As many as one million North American home owners using electric heat may experience increased savings and greater comfort by Moving up to Oil!
Oil Costs Less than Electric Heat
The U.S. Department of Energy and Canadian National Energy Board both forecast generally stable oil prices for the next 20 years.
Owners of an electric furnace or baseboards could experience heating cost savings of 50% or even more - and in almost every case at least 25% - when they Move up to Oil!
When electric heat pump owners convert to oil for improved comfort, they usually report immediate fuel savings and equipment payback surprisingly fast.
Attractive financing offers immediate savings and equipment payback typically in just a few years for electric resistance conversions.
Oilheat is Comfortable
Many heating contractors report that oilheat increases household comfort with air from the registers that is as much as 30oF/17oC warmer than electric heat pumps.
Home owners with heat pumps report increased comfort when they Move up to Oil!
Oil is Clean & Efficient
Modern oilheat equipment achieves an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (A.F.U.E.) of up to 85% - as good as or better than other domestic heat sources.
Oilheat particulate emissions have decreased nearly 10-FOLD since the 1960s: recent research reveals that oil is better for the environment than many electric plants, and is as environmentally-friendly as gas.
Improvements to oilheat technology include the flame-retention burner which concentrates the flame for maximum efficiency, and through-the-wall vents to simplify conversions.
Oil means Peace-Of-Mind
Oilheat is safe: liquid fuel oil is non-explosive and at room temperature will even extinguish a lit match.
Oil is sold in a competitive market: consumers have their choice of oil suppliers, resulting in excellent service and attention to the oilheat customer.
Oilheat dealers get to know your use patterns and can automatically fill the tank when you're getting low.
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While the City and Borough of Sitka
Electric Department says:
Should I convert from oil to electric heat?
The rapid rise in oil prices has everyone rethinking their use of fuel oil and gasoline. Heating oil prices in Sitka are now on par with the cost of electric energy. Many fear that oil prices will be going even higher. Some Sitkans are now considering converting their space heating from oil to electric.
My advice to anyone considering electric heat is to instead consider “dual-fuel.” That is, don’t take out your oil heating system. Just add electric as an alternative energy source for heating your home. The only thing we know for sure about the future is that we have not been there yet. Who knows what the future holds? A dual fuel system design hedges your bet. You can choose which energy source is the best deal at the time.
Sitka’s electric rates have been stable since the mill shut down in 1993. The residential cost of a kilowatt-hour (kWh) in Sitka today averages about 9.2 cents compared to about 8.9 cents in 1993. Not much change. The reason for that is most of the cost of electric service in Sitka is essentially fixed. About half the cost of providing electric service in Sitka is debt service on our utility plant investment. We generate over 95% of our power with water, and the price of that fuel has not changed.
We expect to have enough hydroelectric capacity to satisfy power requirements into the 2015 to 2020 time frame.
Usually oil heat is considerably cheaper than electric.
Though it mostly depends on how much you are paying for heating oil - and how efficient your unit is.
that depends on how much you are paying for a gallon of oil,and how much a kilowatt you are going to pay for electric,in some parts of the country electric heat is very expensive,also you have to do research on the different types of electric heating systems.
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