For over 90 years, Americans have been using heating oil to heat their homes. Despite the test of time, heating oil remains one of the most misunderstood sources of energy in the United States.
For starters, heating oil is not the black, thick crude oil most people conjure up in their minds. Heating oil has a consistency much like water, and a yellow tint similar to that of vegetable oil.
4 Heating Oil Myth Busters
Myth #1: Heating with oil is harmful to the environment.
Fact: 50 years ago, heating oil might not have been good for the planet, but today’s Ultra Low Sulfur Heating Oil (ULSHO) is 95% cleaner than it was in 1970.
Myth #2: Heating with oil is inefficient.
Fact: Furnace efficiency is more a result of your furnace than the fuel. Heating oil furnaces can run for more than 50 years, but 50 years ago furnaces were not as efficient. A 50 year old home might also have old windows and insulation that also contribute to inefficiency. Today’s heating oil furnaces run with up to 95% efficiency and heating oil actually puts out more heat per unit than natural gas.
Myth #3: Heating oil is dangerous.
Fact: Heating oil is non explosive. If one were to put a lit match into a container of heating oil, the flame would extinguish, just as if it were put into a container of water. Heating oil has a much higher boiling point than natural gas, which will explode if exposed to open flame.
Myth #4: Heating oil is expensive.
Fact: The price of heating oil fluctuates over time. Heating oil equipment is less expensive than natural gas equipment. In addition, if properly maintained, heating oil furnaces will last 30 to 50 years, whereas natural gas furnaces have a much shorter life span of 12 – 15 years.
Cooper Fuel would love to serve you!
If you live in a location we serve, we’d love to be your heating oil provider. Contact us today to set up an account.
Additional Resources
For more information on heating oil, visit Oilheat America or the National Oilheat Research Alliance.
Also visit our parent company’s website for information on the even cleaner Bioheat.
