Oilheat Is Safe, Economical and Clean
Heating oil is a great fuel for heating that offers many advantages over other available fuels. It stores safely with no risk of explosion. It has an excellent track record on price and value. The service is great, because independent companies like MacFarlane Energy compete for your business.Here is a quick overview of the benefits of Oilheat...
Oilheat is economical: The gas utilities claim that gas heat is less expensive than Oilheat, but the facts do not support that claim. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicates that on a BTU-for-BTU basis, Oilheat has been less expensive than gas heat in Massachusetts in 17 of the last 20 years. Gas customers also pay extra fees such as basic monthly charge, delivery charges, supply charges, cost adjustment charges, distribution charges, taxes, franchise fees and administration charges.
Oilheat is safe: Oilheat is very safe to use and store. It will not even burn unless it is preheated to 140° F. Oilheat systems also offer better protection against carbon monoxide poisoning, because they produce odors and visible warning signs in the event of a malfunction. Gas heat systems can emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide without visible warning signs. Natural gas is also explosive. If a leak develops inside a house or nearby, a deadly explosion can result. Between 1999 and 2008, there were an average of 44 gas pipeline incidents per year that caused at least one death or hospitalization, according to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Oilheat is clean: Heating oil burns so cleanly that its emissions aren't regulated by the Federal Clean Air Act. New fuel formulations are coming to market that integrate renewable biofuel and ultra low sulfur heating oil. A blend of ultra low sulfur heating oil and 12 percent biodiesel burns with lower emissions than natural gas.
Oilheat is comfortable: Heating oil produces the hottest flame of any home heating fuel, heating your rooms faster, with less fuel, and keeping your home at the temperature you want.
Oilheat billing is easy to understand: Heating oil usage is measured in gallons, something we are all familiar with. Gas heat usage is measured in "therms," a measurement that few people understand. Gas heat bills also contain a variety of supplemental charges that add to the cost.
Oilheat stores safely on your property: You keep a ready supply of heating oil in a tank on your property, so your fuel is always there when you need it. You are not dependent on an underground pipeline that can be damaged, causing you to lose heat until the pipeline is fixed.
Oilheat is dependable: You can count on plenty of fuel from both the U.S. Government and MacFarlane Energy. The United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve has a capacity of 700 million barrels - the world's largest emergency oil stockpile.
Oilheat means more hot water: Oil-fired hot water heaters make faster hot water than gas or electric.
Oilheat means personal service: Oilheat dealers like MacFarlane Energy deliver friendly, personal service, which is not typically the case with a gas utility.
Oilheat is safe: Oilheat is very safe to use and store. It will not even burn unless it is preheated to 140° F. Oilheat systems also offer better protection against carbon monoxide poisoning, because they produce odors and visible warning signs in the event of a malfunction. Gas heat systems can emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide without visible warning signs. Natural gas is also explosive. If a leak develops inside a house or nearby, a deadly explosion can result. Between 1999 and 2008, there were an average of 44 gas pipeline incidents per year that caused at least one death or hospitalization, according to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Oilheat is clean: Heating oil burns so cleanly that its emissions aren't regulated by the Federal Clean Air Act. New fuel formulations are coming to market that integrate renewable biofuel and ultra low sulfur heating oil. A blend of ultra low sulfur heating oil and 12 percent biodiesel burns with lower emissions than natural gas.
Oilheat is comfortable: Heating oil produces the hottest flame of any home heating fuel, heating your rooms faster, with less fuel, and keeping your home at the temperature you want.
Oilheat billing is easy to understand: Heating oil usage is measured in gallons, something we are all familiar with. Gas heat usage is measured in "therms," a measurement that few people understand. Gas heat bills also contain a variety of supplemental charges that add to the cost.
Oilheat stores safely on your property: You keep a ready supply of heating oil in a tank on your property, so your fuel is always there when you need it. You are not dependent on an underground pipeline that can be damaged, causing you to lose heat until the pipeline is fixed.
Oilheat is dependable: You can count on plenty of fuel from both the U.S. Government and MacFarlane Energy. The United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve has a capacity of 700 million barrels - the world's largest emergency oil stockpile.
Oilheat means more hot water: Oil-fired hot water heaters make faster hot water than gas or electric.
Oilheat means personal service: Oilheat dealers like MacFarlane Energy deliver friendly, personal service, which is not typically the case with a gas utility.
Five Reason Not to Switch to Gas Heat
The gas utilities are spending a lot of money marketing gas heat to Oilheat customers, and they often distort the facts. Here are five good reasons to stay with Oilheat.
Converting a home from Oilheat to gas can cost $10,000 or more. Costs might include relining the chimney; installing a gas line; installing an excess flow valve to protect against dangerous gas leaks; and plumbing and wiring the new system. The Consumer Energy Council of America (CECA) calls fuel conversion "an expensive gamble" with no guaranteed payoff. "In 95 out of 100 cases, it makes economic sense to stick with oil, and if an energy-related investment is desired, to invest in conservation," CECA wrote in its brochure Smart Choices for Consumers: Best Ways to Deal with High Heating Costs.
2. Competition Is Very Limited in Natural Gas
Most communities are served by several independent Oilheat companies that compete on price, but there is only one natural gas pipeline network, and it is owned and controlled by a utility. Natural gas utilities have very little competition, and there is often no one to compete with them and drive down the price.
3. The Natural Gas Industry Pollutes With Methane
Natural gas pipelines are plagued by leaks that release gas into the air. Natural gas is 95 percent methane, which is a greenhouse gas that has up to 72 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Gas utilities routinely tolerate leaks that do not pose a direct threat of fire or explosion.
4. Natural Gas Supply Relies on a Controversial Drilling Method
The utility gas industry claims that there are plentiful deposits of gas in the United States, but 60% to 80% of new wells require the use of a controversial extraction technique known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." Fracking uses millions of gallons of water and injects chemicals into the ground. Many residents who live near gas wells say their water supplies have been tainted. Some even have flammable methane gas entering their homes through faucets and showerheads. To read more about fracking, visit the American Energy Coalition website.
5. Gas Utilities Do Not Offer Full Service
Natural gas utilities do not service equipment in customers' homes, so customers must make arrangements with an independent service company or neglect their equipment altogether. Full-service Oilheat companies like MacFarlane Energy offer preventive maintenance, 24-hour emergency service, equipment installation, conservation advice and friendly, personal service.
What the Natural Gas Utilities Don't Want You to Know...
Please don't believe everything you read about natural from the natural gas utilities. For a hard-hitting look at the truths about natural gas, please visit the website of the American Energy Coalition.The Coalition has compiled excellent research on a number of topics:
- The pernicious environmental effects of methane (Natural gas is 95 percent methane)
- The safety risks involved with natural gas use
- Persistent leakage from natural gas pipelines that is routinely tolerated by the utilities
- Fracking - the destructive drilling technique developed by Halliburton that involves injecting millions of gallons of chemical-laced water underground
- Overstatements of natural gas's environmental benefits
If you are considering natural gas as your heating fuel, please visit the American Energy Coalition website before you make your decision. Please feel free to call our office for more information too.
