Nat. Gas vs Heating oil

[mrfjsf]

I currently have oil heat. I love it...its really warm and right NOW its my only source of heat other than my woodstove. However, there is nat. gas in my neighborhood. In fact, my neighbor that I share a driveway with has it. Im thinking of the switch mainly for resale value and to decrease heating cost if applicable. SOOOOO, I have two questions.

1. Im trying to figure out what the difference in cost would be. I don't just wanna hear, gas is cheaper than oil, blah blah. Im looking for a calculator that would let me input the current cost of nat gas in my area and the current price of #2. Has anyone seen anything like that or knows a really close current figure of how much cheaper it would be, if any? ONly figures I could find on the net were a few years old so they of course wont be accurate.

2. Since we have gas at the street but not on my property, would the gas company charge me to run a gas line and meter to the house?

Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[thinkxingu]

1. Can't tell you about the difference in cost, but I can tell you to call your gas company and ask what they'd be willing to do to get your business. Around here, they will connect gas for free and give a couple thousand dollar credit for a new furnace.
2. What type of heat do you have--would it be easy to connect a natural gas furnace to?
3. How would hot water factor into this?
4. How much manipulation would the house require to add gas?

We have electric heat which is known to be quite expensive, BUT: Factoring in the construction required to retrofit, it would take us over 30 years to break even. That, and the fact that I love the speed, silence, and air-quality of electric, keeps us from changing.

S

 

[Dune]

Aside from all the practical benefits, gas burns cleaner than oil, gas furnaces are more efficient than oil, most oil is imported, gas is not.

 

[mrfjsf]

1. Can't tell you about the difference in cost, but I can tell you to call your gas company and ask what they'd be willing to do to get your business. Around here, they will connect gas for free and give a couple thousand dollar credit for a new furnace. OK, ill check with the gas co.
2. What type of heat do you have--would it be easy to connect a natural gas furnace to? I have oil forced air now. It would be a very simple swap to gas. Im in school for HVAC, will graduate in Oct, so ill have access to purchase equipment at a very reduced cost.
3. How would hot water factor into this? I would definately switch over to gas hot water. My elec bill is $100/month on a budget for two people living in a 1300 sf. house and were barely ever home.
4. How much manipulation would the house require to add gas? Shouldnt be much at all, where the meter would come in is the same side of the house my furnace room is in. After that it would just require running gas line to each appliance.

We have electric heat which is known to be quite expensive, BUT: Factoring in the construction required to retrofit, it would take us over 30 years to break even. That, and the fact that I love the speed, silence, and air-quality of electric, keeps us from changing.

S

 

[semipro]

Maybe what you're looking for...
www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/fuel_cost_comparison_calculator/

 

[maverick06]

i had natural gas growing up and oil heat now. Natural gas is definitely easier. No yearly tuning, cleaner burning, no oil tank, no concerns with it leaking. Natural gas is usually cheaper than oil (usually, not always). A natural gas water heater is WAY cheaper than electric. Natural gas cooking is WAY better than electric.

If my neighborhood had natural gas service, I would:
- replace the stove/oven instantly.
- do the math on cost and if economical replace the forced air hearter and water heater right away.
- If it is same cost, or even a little more expensive, I would still replace the water heater and the forced air heater at the end of their service life.

 

[firefighterjake]

I currently have oil heat. I love it...its really warm and right NOW its my only source of heat other than my woodstove. However, there is nat. gas in my neighborhood. In fact, my neighbor that I share a driveway with has it. Im thinking of the switch mainly for resale value and to decrease heating cost if applicable. SOOOOO, I have two questions.

1. Im trying to figure out what the difference in cost would be. I don't just wanna hear, gas is cheaper than oil, blah blah. Im looking for a calculator that would let me input the current cost of nat gas in my area and the current price of #2. Has anyone seen anything like that or knows a really close current figure of how much cheaper it would be, if any? ONly figures I could find on the net were a few years old so they of course wont be accurate. I heat with wood with oil as a back up, but here in Bangor we've been seeing a lot of oil to natural gas conversions since natural gas came into the area a few years back . . . no hard numbers . . . but in talking with folks who have made the conversion on older, larger properties they have told me that due to the difference in price they were already seeing a savings after just the first year.

2. Since we have gas at the street but not on my property, would the gas company charge me to run a gas line and meter to the house?

Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[mrfjsf]

Maybe what you're looking for...
www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/fuel_cost_comparison_calculator/

Thank you, that is what I was looking for. Seems like at current prices, gas is roughly half the cost of heating oil. Now I just need to get with the gas company to see about running service.

 

[btuser]

Definately better, especially in the long term. I can expect oil to double in 10 years.

 

[Reggie Dunlap]

I have no experience with natural gas, we don't have it here or anywhere near here. The last time I looked into oil versus propane, oil was delivering 30% more BTU's per dollar than propane. But that was a few years ago and may have changed. And natural gas piped into your house is likely cheaper than propane delivered by truck.

So you need to compare BTU's per dollar spent and you'll have your answer. A Google search will answer that question, but the hard part is predicting the future...

One factor in favor of gas is the ability to direct vent your boiler out a sidewall. And lot's of the newer boilers can be vented in PVC, which is cheap, quick, and works great.

 

[semipro]

Maybe what you're looking for...
www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/fuel_cost_comparison_calculator/

Thank you, that is what I was looking for. Seems like at current prices, gas is roughly half the cost of heating oil. Now I just need to get with the gas company to see about running service.

You're welcome. I've used both. Gas was less trouble for us and good fast heat. I liked it better because:
no tank
no filters to service
no line clogging
no problems with fuel deterioration
prices seemed more stable

So if you run a gas line you can now convert to an instantaneous or condensing water heater for some really cost-effective hot water. A lot of folks prefer gas stovetops also.

 

[Dune]

I have no experience with natural gas, we don't have it here or anywhere near here. The last time I looked into oil versus propane, oil was delivering 30% more BTU's per dollar than propane. But that was a few years ago and may have changed. And natural gas piped into your house is likely cheaper than propane delivered by truck.

So you need to compare BTU's per dollar spent and you'll have your answer. A Google search will answer that question, but the hard part is predicting the future...

One factor in favor of gas is the ability to direct vent your boiler out a sidewall. And lot's of the newer boilers can be vented in PVC, which is cheap, quick, and works great.

Around here, piped natural gas cost about half as much as propane.

 

[btuser]

Good things:

Being able to pipe my gas grill so I never ran out would be cool.
Natural gas is great for a generator hookup.
Natural gas is great for a cooktop.
Domestic supply.
Condensing gas boilers are getting better/cheaper. Small units in ultra-low mass.
Less residual costs. Maintence, fillters, nozzels ect.

Bad things:

You get a bill every month no matter what.
When the price of fuel oil goes up, so does the price of natual gas.
When the price of wood goes up, so does the price of natural gas.
When the price of prices goes up, so does the price of natural gas.

For me, the positives greatly outweigh any negatives. Everything being equal, gas is always going to be cheaper than almost any other fuel.

 

[firefighterjake]

I have no experience with natural gas, we don't have it here or anywhere near here. The last time I looked into oil versus propane, oil was delivering 30% more BTU's per dollar than propane. But that was a few years ago and may have changed. And natural gas piped into your house is likely cheaper than propane delivered by truck.

So you need to compare BTU's per dollar spent and you'll have your answer. A Google search will answer that question, but the hard part is predicting the future...

One factor in favor of gas is the ability to direct vent your boiler out a sidewall. Some oil boilers can do so as well . . . in fact this is how my oil boiler is set up. And lot's of the newer boilers can be vented in PVC, which is cheap, quick, and works great.

 

[Reggie Dunlap]

Yes some oil boilers can direct vent, but it's not as easy or as clean as it is with gas.

 

[firefighterjake]

Yes some oil boilers can direct vent, but it's not as easy or as clean as it is with gas.

Actually the install was pretty easy . . . now if you're comparing gas vs. oil in terms of emissions and required maintenance . . . no question . . . gas every time.

 

[btuser]

If you have the choice natural gas is great, but I would have to crunch some serious numbers to consider propane. If you're building new then your requirements may be low enough that propane may be more economical because of the decreased maintenence but there is a tipping point. Oil heat is a lot cleaner than it was (just like the trucks) because of the emission requirements. ULSD is making its way into the supply chain, and biodiesel is even cleaner.

 

[woodsmaster]

We had fuel oil when I was a kid and I hated it. Our tank was out side and when you needed the heat most it would jell and not work. Had to run a heater on the tank and put additives in it to keep it going.
The nozzel would need replaced once or twice a year and the fire chamber never lasted over 5 years without cracking. I would change to gas in a second even if it cost a little more.

 

[btuser]

Here's a link to give you an idea on pricing: http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_wfr_dcus_SNH_w.htm

There's a major advantage to propane over oil, and that's the availablity of residential modulating burners that will greatly add to system efficiency. It eliminates the short-cylcing of appliances during shoulder seasons. This can be corrected in a single stage burner(to a point) with controls AND CORRECT SIZING but unless you're emmiters are high mass the old-standby of a sectional boiler and fin-tube baseboard is going to struggle to get anything close to the AFUE numbers on the side of the unit. So yes, propane can be more efficient but it need to be much more efficient to compensate for the higher price/btu.

Propane gives you option for a condensing boiler, but this is difficult in a retrofit because your boiler is never going to be in the condensing zone if you're feeding baseboard that need 130+ temperatures. A condensing boiler needs return temps below 140F to condense otherwise it's not going to work.

Oil exhaust has 1/2 the condensation of gas/propane so it doesn't make economic sense (yet). Now, there is a particular oil boiler that can deliver 90+% efficiency without condensing and without a return limit. In fact, it looks like a mini-Garn when it doesn't have its clothes on! It does this with 30 year old technology and an understanding of how things SHOULD be, regardless of what is cheapest/most profitable.