Comparing Heating Oil to Electric Heat

Understanding the Difference to Help Keep Warm at Home

When it comes to heating your Bergen County home, there’s a lot to consider, especially with growing pressure to switch to electricity. But when you start to compare heating your home with oil versus electricity, you’ll discover that heating oil can be the most efficient option—particularly for our cold, damp winter climate. Today’s ultra-low sulfur heating oil is cleaner and greener—and when it comes to keeping your home comfortable without breaking the bank, it can be a better bet than electric heat, too.

Oil Heats Better

One of the key benefits of heating oil is that it has a higher BTU output per gallon. That means it will warm up your home faster than other types of fuel. Higher BTUs also means you’ll use your heating oil supply will last longer. That translates to fewer fill-ups over the winter and spending less to heat your house with heating oil.

The oil used in homes today is dramatically different than the oil burned in the past. Thanks in part to the transition to ultra-low sulfur heating oil, particulate emissions have been reduced significantly from the already low levels of the past few decades. So how much cleaner is it? Traditional heating oil has a sulfur content of up to 4,000 parts per million. In contrast, ultra-low sulfur heating oil has a sulfur content of just 15 parts per million.
Because it’s so clean-burning, ultra-low sulfur heating oil improves the efficiency of your heating system—saving you money. It also helps your system last longer and reduces breakdowns.

What About Electricity?

Electricity is great for lights, computers, televisions, and some appliances. But while it’s touted as the future of clean energy, we just aren’t there yet. While electricity produces virtually zero emissions when you use it, the current power grid is not yet capable of reliably serving a 100% electric demand. Think about how many times a winter storm will knock out power to your home, and then imagine the inconvenience when you are relying completely on electricity.

What’s more, electric heat takes much longer to reach a comfortable temperature and can struggle to maintain it—driving up your energy usage. That means electricity costs you more. Think about how cold it can get here in January and February, and imagine the effect on your utility bill. Plus, because electric heat pumps rely on outdoor air, they become less able to keep your home warm the lower the temperature goes. In fact, many homes with electric heat pumps also need to have oil- or gas-fired furnaces or boilers as a backup.

The Bottom Line

Heating oil also offers ways to save that you don’t get from a natural gas or electric utility. Bolkema offers price protection and payment options that let you capture a lower price per gallon. You can also fill up your tank in the “off” season, when oil prices are typically lowest. You can’t do that with electricity or natural gas.

Bolkema is a family-owned and operated company that specializes in outstanding service. We offer safe, reliable heating oil delivery with personalized service. Learn more about the benefits of heating your home with ultra-low sulfur heating oil from Bolkema. Contact us today!