As this is being written, it is 92 degrees (in the shade) outside, and forecasted to be close to 100 degrees this coming weekend & beyond – so what better time than now to talk about the fuel you’ll use to heat your home this coming Winter? Now, I know what you’re thinking: It’s only July, and your need to even think about home heating options is several months away at best – am I right? Indeed, for many of you that would be the likely response; but for those of you still using Oil as your heating fuel, the time to start thinking about the heating season is in fact now.
The sad reality is that (too) many homeowners in our area are still using “good old” #2 Fuel Oil as their primary fuel source for heating, and the pitfalls of this source have been well-documented for many years – it’s dirty, it’s inefficient, and worst of all, it’s expensive.
The Benefits of Switching to Natural Gas
Meanwhile, PSE&G & the other Natural Gas (NG) supplying utilities in New Jersey have vowed to work towards a 7.4% reduction in residential natural gas bills (a move that will save existing NG customers an average of $64 per year), matching the lowest rate in 16 years, as announced during a recent meeting with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. “Our rates have been about 20 percent less than other utilities in the region over the past two years,” said Jorge Cardenas, PSE&G vice president of asset management and centralized services. “In addition, to put this proposed rate reduction into perspective, in 2009 PSE&G’s gas supply rate was $1.19 per therm. This year that rate would drop to 34 cents per therm. That is a huge savings.” - MyEnergyTips.com
While some homeowners in our area never had, and still do not have, a NG supply line on their street or in their neighborhood, there are that many more who have had NG service not only on their street, but in their homes, for many years, and are still using Oil as their heating fuel, citing the cost of fuel conversion / heating system replacement as the main reason for staying with Oil.
Today’s Planning = Tomorrow’s Savings
We all know that nothing lasts forever, and as these existing Oil heating systems start reaching their “retirement ages” (the average system is only expected to last about 15-20 years), and occupy homes with existing or “available” (on their street) NG service, the opportunity to break their dependency on Oil as their fuel source has arrived; and by starting the conversion planning process now, while it is still the middle of Summer, your home can be ready for the return of heating season - but this year (and for many to come), your home can be heated with Natural Gas, which is cleaner burning (think “reduced carbon footprint”), more efficient (currently as high as 98.7%!), and as just mentioned, a significantly less expensive fuel source than “good old #2”.
At Princeton Air, we place a lot of importance on helping our customers find the best ways to heat (and cool) their homes throughout the year; and clearly there’s never been a better time than now to consider an Oil-to-Gas conversion. The benefits of moving away from Oil are impossible to deny, and completing Oil-to-Gas conversions is easier today than ever before; but it does require some advanced planning to ensure that all goes smoothly & is completed before the need for heat returns – so by starting the planning & coordination process now, when it is 90+ degrees outside, you can rest assured that it will be “all systems go” when you need to switch your thermostat to the “heat” setting for the first time this Autumn.
If it’s time for you to drop Oil for good, and embrace the benefits of Natural Gas, you should Contact Princeton Air today to learn more & to schedule an appointment.
