While summer isn’t the time to be turning up the home heating, it is the perfect time to start thinking about switching from fuel oil to propane, before the cooler months arrive.
Many new home heating alternatives are much more effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly than oil and propane is at the forefront of these alternatives.
If you are still using fuel oil to heat your home or cottage, it may be time to switch to propane so that you can start taking advantage of all the benefits propane heating has to offer.
To help you decide whether or not it is time to switch to propane, here are the answers to frequently asked questions.
Are oil furnaces or propane gas furnaces more efficient?
Answer: Propane gas furnaces are more efficient
Explanation: Oil furnaces typically produce heat at about 60% efficiency, meaning that for every dollar you spend on heating oil, you’ll only get about 60 cents worth of heat. Propane gas furnaces, on the other hand, are much more efficient, with ratings typically 90% or above.
Are oil furnaces or propane furnaces more environmentally friendly?
Answer: Propane has a lower environmental impact
Explanation: Propane is a clean-burning, alternative energy source that has very little impact on the environment. Unlike oil, which can leak and cause severe environmental damage, propane is a gas that dissipates into the atmosphere and therefore cannot contaminate soil or water.
Propane also has a lower carbon footprint, producing nearly 40% fewer emissions than oil, with low carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions. High efficiency propane furnaces emit 10,000 fewer pounds of carbon per year than standard oil-fueled furnaces.
- One litre of leaked oil can contaminate 1 million litres of drinking water.
- A pinhole in an oil tank can empty 1,000 litres of oil.
- Pinhole leaks are often undetected for months, and sometimes years.
Is propane or oil a safer fuel alternative?
Answer: Propane is one of the safety alternative fuels used for heating your home.
Explanation: Propane has a unique odour added to it by manufacturers so that it can be easily recognized and detected in the case of a leak. Unlike oil, propane is non-toxic, cannot be ingested, cannot contaminate soil or water, and is stored in highly regulated tanks with safety valves and other safety mechanisms to prevent ruptures.
What kind of affect will oil furnaces have on my insurance policy?
Answer: Because oil creates an environmental hazard, if it leaks, oil often increases the cost of home insurance. Propane is more affordable.
Explanation: Propane heating equipment is much more affordable, and has no long-term effects on the environment during a spill.
Oil leaks, on the other hand, are very difficult to clean up, and can cost thousands of dollars. In fact, the average cost for cleanup of an oil tank leak/spill is $250,000 to more than $500,000 and can include:
- Replacing the tank and supply lines
- Removing contaminated soil from around your home
- Replacing your home's foundation
Between 2008 and 2011, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) paid out $78.5 million for oil tank spills. But being insured does not guarantee you won’t be liable for damages.
As a homeowner with an oil tank on your property, you are responsible for year-round maintenance of your oil tank. If there is a spill or leak of oil from your property, you could be entirely responsible for all of the costs associated with the clean-up.
You deserve a safe, efficient, and cost effective fuel source for your home, cottage or business. Switching to propane allows you to make an impact on preserving our environment in an affordable way.
Budget Propane supplies the world’s most eco-friendly gas to your home or office on demand. Call 1 888 405.7777 to have Budget Propane install tanks and lines, place remote tank monitors, or provide technical support for your home, business, or contracting job. We deliver throughout central Ontario; Huntsville, Bracebridge, Haliburton, Muskoka, Bala, Midland, Orillia, Barrie, Alliston... and more! Visit us online at www.budgetpropaneontario.com
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