When we first moved into our home, we had no access to natural gas.
The house was equipped with an oil furnace.
I wasn’t happy with this situation. Along with concerns over energy efficiency and heating costs, I wasn’t satisfied with the comfort level provided by the outdated furnace. It definitely costs more to heat with heating oil, and modern gas furnaces offer much higher AFUE ratings. Converting from oil to natural gas was an economical solution. I contacted a local HVAC contractor for an estimate on the conversion. While it wasn’t cheap, I knew the monthly savings would recover the upfront investment. The old furnace was only 70% efficient where the new gas alternative offered a 98% efficiency rating. By adding a gas line to the house, we not only updated our heating system but switched over our water heater, oven clothes dryer and added an outdoor natural gas barbecue grill. I like that natural gas is much cleaner and better for the environment. The new furnace emits 40% less greenhouse gases and 100% less sulfur dioxide. Having access to natural gas is way more convenient and saves me time. Because it comes from an underground pipeline, there’s a constant supply. It’s never interrupted by a power outage and I don’t need to worry about running out. I am no longer forced to schedule my life around the delivery of oil or pre-pay for my fuel. My bills are based on actual energy usage each month. Along with making life easier, reducing our carbon footprint and improving indoor comfort, the conversion to natural gas added resale value to our home.