Comparing heating oil and natural gas
When buying a new home or considering upgrades, it’s important to look at your options. Weighing the safety, efficiency, as well as the risks and costs associated with each fuel is an important part of the decision making process.
Safety & risks
Heating oil
There are minimal safety risks with heating oil. It is a non-flammable fuel and it will not explode in the presence of a spark, meaning leaks won’t cause catastrophic damage. If your system fails soot and smell will alert you before carbon monoxide becomes an issue. Leaks or fumes can cause minimal health issues such as skin or lung irritation. Transporting, storing and using heating oil is safe.
- Safe
- Not an explosive hazard
- Obvious signs of failure
- Inhalation not fatal
- Does not put families at risk
Natural gas
The risks of using gas can be extreme. It is highly flammable and explosive. System failures don’t cause any obvious signs like soot which can lead to carbon monoxide in the home or worse. Leaks, forgetfulness, aging infrastructure and work site accidents lead to deadly natural gas explosions every year. These accidents cause entire homes and buildings to explode, house fires and carbon monoxide build up.
- Unsafe
- Explosive and combustible
- System failure can cause carbon monoxide or fire
- Family & home at risk
Pricing
Heating oil
The upfront costs of heating oil are less than natural gas systems. Typically oil fired furnaces and boilers cost 10% – 25% less than gas powered furnaces and boilers. Installation is less costly and easier, without public utility lines. The cost of heating oil is on average more than natural gas. You do however have full control over how much you store, instead of being connected to a line.
- More affordable up front
- Affordable equipment
- High annual use cost
- Furnaces last longer
- Freedom & control
Natural gas
The upfront cost of natural gas can be substantial due to the higher cost of equipment. Additionally, if your home doesn’t have a gas line to the house, adding one can cost thousands of dollars. The cost of natural gas is on average cheaper than oil, but you have no control of that supply. If it is shut off for repairs or emergencies, you will be without heat.
- More expensive up front
- Expensive equipment
- Cheaper annual use cost
- Furnaces don’t last as long
- No freedom or control
Efficiency
Heating oil
Oil burns much hotter than natural gas and provides more BTU than other heating sources, meaning by comparison you need less to heat your home.
Furnaces and boilers are less efficient than gas but last longer, 15-20 years, making them a more economical choice.
- More BTU than gas
- Furnaces not as efficient
- Furnaces last 15-20 years
Natural gas
Gas provides less BTU than oil, so more is required to reach the same level of heat as oil. Furnaces are typically more efficient but last fewer years. 12-15 years. The high cost of system replacements can offset savings from efficiency so it’s important to look at the big picture.
- Less BTU than oil
- Furnaces more efficient
- Furnaces last 12-15 years
When in doubt, choose safety first.
Oil is safer to transport, store and the long term costs aren’t as much as natural gas when you figure in the cost of replacing and upgrading a system in the long term. Our biggest reason to advocate for oil heat is personal safety. Heating your home should not put your family, your livelihood or other’s lives at risk. Every year there are reports of natural gas and pipeline explosions, buildings exploding beyond recognition, critical injuries and deaths. Many of those incidents are accidents, and we strongly feel you shouldn’t risk losing your loved ones because of an accident or human error. We choose heating oil and safety first.