When you need heating oil Fredericks Fuel can deliver

The heating oil industry is doing its part to keep up with the times and not become outdated. Modern technological advances have helped make the fuel more eco-friendly and energy efficient than it has ever been.

Modern heating oil heaters themselves are made to be compact in size, have advanced control capabilities, are highly efficient and are made to conserve fuel whenever possible.

But how do you know if a traditional oil-powered heating system or an electric heating system is right for your home?

Of course, each and every homeowner has to do what is right for his or her home. However, there are some key advantages to using heating oil over electric heat.

Understanding how heating oil systems and electric heat pumps work

The first thing to distinguish between these two different types of heating systems is how each one works.

A boiler or furnace that is powered with heating oil generates heat directly via a burner that combusts the fuel. If a home has a furnace, this heating oil warms air that is in a heat exchanger. If a home has a boiler, this heating oil warms water that is in a tank. This warmed air or water is then moved through ducts or pipes to warm a home.

Electric heat pumps move heat as opposed to creating it the way furnaces and boilers do. A heat pump takes heat from the air that is outside and moves it into a home.

Additional differences between heating oil and electric heat

Clearly, electric heating systems and heating systems that use oil have different ways of warming a home. Their differences don’t stop there.

Here is a further breakdown that compares the heating systems:

• Heating oil usually provides better cost efficiency over time.
• Oil furnaces and boilers provide greater heat output per gallon than electric heaters do. A single gallon of heating oil produces about 138,500 British Thermal Units (BTUs), which is significantly more than the energy output that electricity heaters produce. Not only does this mean that they keep a home warmer for longer amounts of time and are able to heat a space at a faster speed, but this also means that they help reduce energy costs.
• Electricity prices are often higher per unit of energy compared to heating oil prices. Not only that, but the price of heating oil is usually less volatile than the price of electricity costs.
• Electric heating systems are dependent on a power grid to operate and function. This means that if there were to be a power outage your electric powered heating system would be non-operational. Heating oil systems, on the other hand, work without a power grid, which means you can rely on them during winter storms and emergencies that may cause blackouts.
• An oil furnace that is well cared for and maintained can last a homeowner anywhere from about 20 to 30 years. Electric heating systems do not last as long and may very well need to be repaired or have parts that need to be replaced more often.

Make Fredericks Fuel your heating oil provider

Homeowners here in the Northern New Jersey area who are looking for a reliable heating oil provider can count on Fredericks Fuel to fill this role. You can consider us your full-service heating company.

Contact Fredericks Fuel today to learn more about our heating oil services.