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Efficiency
Advantage: BioHeating Oil
One of the biggest reasons that people believe they will save money by converting from oil to natural gas is due to “improved efficiency”. But the majority of this improved efficiency comes from installing brand new equipment, not because you installed natural gas equipment.
New natural gas equipment is more efficient than old heating oil equipment. But new oil equipment is also more efficient than old heating oil equipment. If you install new equipment, regardless of what type, things are going to run more efficiently!
Now, let’s compare the actual fuels themselves. In comparing natural gas therms to BioHeat BTUs on an “apples to apples” basis after conversions, you get more heat from BioHeating Oil than Natural Gas. BioHeating oil actually has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel. BioHeating oil reduces nitrous oxide in boilers and home heating equipment and it’s highly efficient. BioHeating oil contains 11% oxygen by weight which helps the fuel to burn cleanly and completely.
Efficiency in heat production is actually one of the biggest factors to consider in choosing a fuel type for your home. Ultimately, prices can change, conversion costs can go up and down, and in the end, you can’t keep changing your fuel type back and forth every time one fuel becomes cheaper than another! But if you’re using the most efficient fuel type available, you’re guaranteed to at least be getting the most heat from your given fuel source.
Cleanliness of Burning
Advantage: BioHeat, conditional on the blend percentage
This is an area where a lot of people are actually misinformed. BioHeating oil, assuming at least a 11% blend of BioDiesel, burns cleaner than Natural Gas and BioHeating Oil definitely burns cleaner than traditional heating oil. Testing conducted by the Fuel Merchants Association (FMA) found that a BioHeating oil blend of 89% low-sulfur heating oil and 11% BioDiesel (B20) reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by as much as 80% or more. Nitrogen oxide emissions were lowered by about 20%. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions can be lowered by 20%.
Check out these filters after just one year of burning the respective fuel listed.
Stunning visual proof of the clean burning properties of BioFuel blends.
Using BioHeating oil also leaves your tank cleaner than traditional heating oil. There is a reduction in soot build up and nozzle carbon build up. In the long run this reduces the need for maintenance and service costs.
Just to give you an idea, here’s a case study done comparing traditional petroleum based heating oil to a BioHeat blend. And this case study was done with only a B2 blend (2% BioDiesel). The higher the blend of BioFuel, the cleaner it burns!
Thinking of Converting? Get all the FACTS!
Oil heat vs. gas heat – the answer to this question becomes clearer when you throw BioHeating Oil into the mix. It’s time to part ways with traditional petroleum based heating oil. Get the FACTS. Learn about ALL of your conversion options. Choose the BEST fuel type available to heat your home.
BioHeating oil wins the efficiency & cleanliness of burning argument, but read our full article to find out how the two fuel types stack up in terms of cost, efficiency and cleanliness, renewability, safety, and much more! Get all the facts here: “BioHeating Oil vs. Natural Gas”.
*Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Advantage – BioHeat
Why should I care? There are a couple of reasons to care about whether or not your fuel source is renewable or not. For starters, of course using a green, renewable fuel source is significantly better for the environment and posterity’s sake. But in terms of how it affects you and your wallet, price spikes are much more unpredictable with a limited natural resource. Basic supply and demand will play a key role in dictating the price of your fuel, and if you’re using a limited supply fuel source to heat your home, be prepared for possible price spikes going along with that.
BioHeat IS made from a renewable fuel source.
BioDiesel in it’s pure form is 100% renewable, and BioHeating oil can be any blend of traditional petroleum based heating oil with the 100% renewable BioDiesel.So, for example, BioHeating oil could be a 50% blend of BioDiesel & a 50% blend of traditional heating oil.
This blend would of course be 50% renewable. Your existing heating system, designed originally for pure petroleum based heating oil, can run (and will actually run even more efficiently) on renewable BioHeating oil. And the best part, you’re in complete control of the fact that you’re using something environmentally friendly and renewable in your heating system.
Natural gas IS NOT a renewable fuel source. However there is now also a “renewable natural gas” being produced from biomass, although it is not widely distributed. So there are possibly renewable options available in the gas realm down the road. With natural gas, you get whatever gas is being fed through the lines to your home. You have no way of controlling whether you’re getting fossil based natural gas or renewable natural gas piped in. So if you care at all about the environment, BioHeating oil allows you to take an active role in preserving it. If all you care about is your wallet, then chances are there could be renewable gas options for you down the road if there aren’t now.
Thinking of Converting? Get all the FACTS!
Oil heat vs. gas heat – the answer to this question becomes clearer when you throw BioHeating Oil into the mix. It’s time to part ways with traditional petroleum based heating oil. Get the FACTS. Learn about ALL of your conversion options. Choose the BEST fuel type available to heat your home.
BioHeating oil wins the renewability argument, but read our full article to find out how the two fuel types stack up in terms of cost, efficiency and cleanliness, renewability, safety, and much more! Get all the facts here: “BioHeating Oil vs. Natural Gas”.
*Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Safety of BioHeating Oil vs. Natural Gas
Advantage – BioHeat
BioHeating oil possesses many of the same safety traits as traditional heating oil always has. For starters, BioHeating oil will not burn in a liquid state. You could literally drop a match into a bucket of BioHeating oil, and it would go out as if you had dropped it in water. BioHeating oil is non-explosive.
It’s also always helpful that there are visible signs if there is a malfunction in your oil heating system, as
opposed to the gas leaks or carbon monoxide fears that are more common with gas systems. In the oil heat vs. gas heat debate, heating oil has always held a safety advantage, and BioHeating oil is no exception to that.
Natural Gas has taken precautions to increase safety, but there are definite risks with natural gas to be aware of. Natural gas is explosive. Gas leaks are rare, but extremely dangerous because of this. An odor is added to natural gas to attempt to help you notice a gas leak in time to get away. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is also a concern with natural gas. Appliances that use natural gas that are not properly maintained can put you at risk – without your knowledge as a carbon monoxide poisoning is fatal and extremely difficult to detect. Monitors are needed to try to maintain safety in the home.
Provider Relationship with BioHeating Oil vs. Natural Gas
Advantage – BioHeat
The advantage here is technically up to you to decide. Most people TRUST their BioHeating oil company provider more than the local utility company.
As a matter of fact, when surveyed in New Jersey, 76% of people trust their BioHeating oil company more than the local utility company.
Typically, when using BioHeating oil, you develop a relationship with your provider, and have options to make choices as to what is done in your home. You are an individual customer, ordering your own heating oil, making your own choices as to who you order from, and are treated as such.
With a gas company, you become part of a massive “chain” of gas lines. The local utility company, while hopefully reliable and able to provide good customer service, does not possess the same individual approach to you or your home.
Thinking of Converting? Get all the FACTS!
Oil heat vs. gas heat – the answer to this question becomes clearer when you throw BioHeating Oil into the mix. It’s time to part ways with traditional petroleum based heating oil. Get the FACTS. Learn about ALL of your conversion options. Choose the BEST fuel type available to heat your home.
BioHeating oil wins the safety argument, but read our full article to find out how the two fuel types stack up in terms of cost, efficiency and cleanliness, renewability, safety, and much more! Get all the facts here: “BioHeating Oil vs. Natural Gas”.
