Why Heating Oil Trumps Electricity

Five Reasons Electricity Isn’t the Answer To Everything

There is a current push across the country to convince homeowners to switch to electricity for everything—including heating their homes. You may be wondering if you should make the switch in your South Shore home. At Scott Williams, we urge you to think twice. Although advocates for electrification are looking to reduce carbon emissions, there are some flaws in their logic.

There are reasons not to jump on the electricity bandwagon right now. Heating oil has certain advantages over electricity and has something to offer the environment-conscious customer.

At Scott Williams, we care about climate change. Because of our commitment to fuel efficiency and energy conservation, we provide a blend of ultra-low sulfur heating oil and a 10% biofuel that’s made from renewable sources. Our Bioheat® fuel burns more cleanly than traditional heating oil and is compatible with the heating oil system you already have.

The Problem With Electrification

Here are a few things to consider when comparing heating oil to electricity:

1. Power outages have become an even bigger problem lately. Our country’s electric grid is imperfect and can’t always be counted on, especially when extreme weather hits. If you depend on electricity to keep you warm, what will you do when a massive storm leaves your Massachusetts neighborhood in the dark this winter? As destructive storms and power outages become more common, you want to have a dependable source of heat in your home. Heating oil offers that.
2. Our current electric grid is ill-equipped to handle additional demand. If everyone switched to electricity for everything, imagine how much more likely brownouts and blackouts would be when demand increases. Power outages are common on extremely hot days when everyone is running their AC to keep cool. Imagine if everyone needed additional electricity to warm their homes during the cold New England winters!
3. Using Bioheat® fuel is a cost-effective way to reduce your carbon footprint without the need for additional equipment and without putting a greater burden on the electric grid. Click here for more energy conservation tips.
4. Replacing a boiler or furnace powered by heating oil with an electric heat pump is impractical in places like New England. Electric heat pumps are significantly less efficient when the outside temperature approach freezing. Compared to a system powered by heating oil, electric heat pumps simply won’t warm your Massachusetts home as effectively during the long, cold winter that’s on its way.
5. Installing a heat pump is extremely expensive. On average, a new heat pump costs $20,000. You can purchase a new, highly efficient boiler or furnace for less than half that amount and still reduce your carbon footprint.

At Scott Williams, we are committed to our customers. Whether you’re in Suffolk, Norfolk, or Plymouth county, we’ll keep you comfortable and save you money at the same time.

To learn more about our clean-burning fuel and other ways we “go green” at Scott Williams, contact us today.