Are you one of the thousands of homeowners and residents in our area that use heating oil to keep their homes safe and warm throughout each winter? Pennsylvania residents love fuel oil, and for good reason. Here are some of the top perks to choosing fuel oil for your source of reliable heat.
Heating Oil Is Getting Cleaner and Greener
Biodiesel is taking the heating oil industry by storm! Most marketers in the Northeast blend a percentage of biodiesel into their home heating oil, making it burn cleaner, produce fewer emissions, and create less of an environmental impact. The best part is, it burns cleanly in existing oil heat equipment and doesn’t need any modifications. To learn more about this innovation, visit our Bioheat page.
Heating Oil Is a Safe, Nonexplosive Fuel Choice
Some sources of heating fuel are capable of igniting and exploding—but not heating oil or Bioheat! Pennsylvania residents love heating oil because it gives them the peace of mind that their fuel is a safe choice for their home, property, and family. If you want to learn more about the safety of oil heat, check out NORA’s educational resources or contact a local dealer near you.
Heating Oil Is Abundant and Affordable in PA
It’s no secret that there are dozens of reliable full-service heating oil delivery providers in our area. Why not take advantage of their services by signing up as a customer? You can shop around to find the dealer that’s right for you, whether you prefer same-day delivery, low daily prices, automatic fill-ups, 24-hour service, or quality heating service. Heating oil’s abundance in our area makes it an affordable and competitive fuel type for homeowners and residents alike.
Find a heating oil dealer today, or check out local assistance programs for affordable PA home heating!
More about Oil Heat’s Safety
Today’s oil heat delivers peace of mind. When it comes to your home and your family, you want your heating system to be safe and reliable. Here are ways in which oil heat exemplifies safety and dependability:
- It will not burn in a liquid state. In order to ignite, heating oil must be heated to above 140°F, the temperature at which it begins to vaporize.
- There are visible warnings if there is a malfunction. With home heating oil systems, carbon monoxide leaks rarely happen without warning. If an oil heat system malfunctions, it will release smoke or soot as a visible warning; these serve as early indicators that something is wrong, long before dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can be released into the air. Having your equipment serviced regularly is the key to safe operation.
- It’s nonexplosive. Heating oil is not explosive in its liquid form.
- Today’s tanks are stronger and less likely to leak. Whether your oil storage tank is in your basement, in a pantry, outside, or even underground, today’s tanks are composed of state-of-the-art steel and fiberglass, many with double walls of plastic and steel and sensors, and should last for decades.
Oil Is Renewable
Oil heat has a bright green future, and Bioheat fuel plays an important role. Bioheat fuel—heating oil blended with biodiesel made with biodegradable organic materials such as soybean oil—is one of the hottest things happening in home comfort. Bioheat fuel is kind to Mother Earth and heating systems, too.
Bioheat Fuel Characteristics:
- It is extremely clean burning.
- It has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel.
- Domestically produced, soy-based Bioheat fuel helps to support our nation’s farmers and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
- Biodiesel production supports $16.8 billion in total economic impact, more than 62,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in wages paid.
Bioheat Fuel Benefits for Homeowners:
- Bioheat fuel produces the same satisfying heat as regular oil.
- According to studies, Bioheat fuel performs just as well as, if not better than, conventional heating oil.
- It lubricates your heating system.
- You don’t have to make any modifications to your burner or tank.
- You don’t have to buy any new equipment.
- You don’t have to change your budget plan, payment plan, service contract, or warranties.
- Performance standards for Bioheat blends up to B-20 are approved by ASTM International.
Oil Is Efficient
- Some new oil heat systems boast efficiency ratings of 95%, providing more warmth with less fuel than ever before.
- Recent studies funded by NYSERDA show fuel savings as high as 48.3% when replacing an outdated boiler with a new, high-efficiency boiler.
- Oil heat equipment is constantly evolving to incorporate advancements in efficiency and comfort. Many new boilers are designed to incorporate weather-responsive controls that greatly reduce fuel usage during mildly cold weather and provide a more even heat with fewer temperature swings.
- Other important advancements include two-stage burners that conserve fuel and electronically commutated furnace blowers that save electricity, provide smoother operation, and work well with high-efficiency central air conditioning systems.
Save with Oil Heat
- Upgrading old equipment to a new heating system can offer a homeowner significant savings in fuel usage, providing substantial financial benefits.
- Low-interest financing is available in many states for high-efficiency upgrades.
- Schedule your annual heating system tune-up to reduce heating oil usage by up to 10%.
- Install programmable thermostats to automate your home temperature settings and you may reduce your usage by as much as 10%.
Upgrade & Save—Pennsylvania Rebate Program
Studies show that heating system upgrades can reduce your annual energy expenses by 30-40% and pay for themselves in just a few short years through these savings. Now, you can make that payback come even quicker and start saving immediately with the Upgrade & Save – Pennsylvania Energy Efficiency and Safety Rebate Program. Click here to learn more.
Oil Heat’s Cleanliness
- Oil heat burns cleanly. Today’s oil heat burns 95% cleaner than in 1970. Since it burns so cleanly, it comes well within the air pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Low-sulfur products and renewable biofuels, such as those made from soybeans, reduce oil heat’s already near-zero emissions even further.
- Oil heat is kind to the environment. In fact, residential heating oil equipment is not even regulated by the Federal Clean Air Act.
- Oil heat is better than ever. Across the country, the heating oil being delivered to many homes is now Bioheat fuel—a low-sulfur or ultra-low sulfur product blended with renewable biofuels.
- Oil heat storage is safe, reliable and convenient. Today’s tanks are designed with corrosion-resistant materials and can last for decades. New technology allows for remote monitoring to protect against the rare event of a leak, and to ensure you always have a sufficient supply of heating oil on hand, no matter what the weather brings.
Domestic Oil Production
Crude oil is produced in 31 states today, and US production of crude oil is at its highest levels in decades. The biodiesel and Bioheat fuel used in today’s green heating oil blends is also made domestically from agricultural or recycled resources, reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home. Biodiesel and Bioheat fuel create thousands of US jobs throughout the entire production and distribution chain.
Finally, oil heat dealers are local businesses that are part of the community. The majority of full-service oil heat dealers live in or near the communities they serve, and participate in local civic and service organizations.
Oil’s Abundancy
There’s an abundant and safe supply of oil heat to keep all of America warm and comfortable for many years to come. In the United States today, 6.4 million households use oil heat. Based on an average of 2.6 or more persons per household, it is estimated that over 16.5 million consumers in our nation benefit from heating oil each year (US Census Bureau, 2013 ACS One Year Survey).
US crude oil production averaged an estimated 8.9 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2016, and was forecast to average 9.0 million b/d in 2017 and 9.5 million b/d in 2018. These totals position the US as one of the world’s top three oil producers and help ensure an abundant supply for all of the households that use heating oil each year.
Today there are more than 50 oil-producing countries, and the US is not dependent on any one country or region for its supply. And according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the country from which the U.S. imports the most crude oil is Canada, our neighbor to the north.
Independent Fuel Supply
Oil heat is supplied by many dealers within each town and gives homeowners and businesses true independence on a personal and national level. Individual dealers may offer different levels of service, and customers have the freedom to choose the dealer, programs and services that are right for them, and to switch dealers if they choose.
Independent dealers offer many services, which may include*:
- Convenient delivery options including will-call, COD, and automatic delivery
- Equipment repair, sales and installation
- 24/7 emergency service
- Service/maintenance agreements
- Budget and price protection plans
- Other value-added programs
*Not all dealers offer all services. Please contact your local home comfort provider for specific information and requirements
Oil Storage Tanks
Oil storage tanks give you even more freedom, giving you the ability to safely store the heating oil your home will need, for whenever you might need it. Your storage tank is a “stocked pantry” for your heating system.
- Tanks may be installed in a basement, utility room, garage, outside, or underground.
- New tanks are made from steel or fiberglass, or with a ‘double wall’ consisting of one steel and one plastic, to withstand deterioration and last for decades.
For more information on today’s oil heat, visit the Oilheat America website.