With around 10 million homes in the United States heated using home heating oil, more and more families are investigating oilheat efficiency and affordability. Affordable oilheat might surprise you in its long list of benefits as a heating fuel. Though it is a fossil fuel, its greenhouse gas emissions is are very low because it burns so cleanly. In fact, the difference between oilheat in 1970 and oilheat today is a 95% cleaner burn. This biodegradable, non-carcinogenic, and non-toxic heating fuel is friendly to the environment, but it is also very efficient.

Oilheat efficiency is well documented. Modern home heating oil equipment is rated at over 95% efficient. These heaters burn 35% less fuel than they did in the 1970's. Yet, they are still very effective. Using oilheat ensures that your home will quickly and evenly warm up. Oilheat burns hot; flame temperature is 3,000. Approximately 138,000 British Thermal Units (BTU's) of heat are produce by one gallon of heating oil. The high efficiency of oilheat contributes to how affordable oilheat is. An increasing number of oilheat supply companies have driven the prices down and the cost of heating oil is actually lower than it was in the 1970's when you adjust for inflation.

Home heating oil is also one of the safest fuel sources you can choose to heat your home. Because the oil will not burn in a liquid state, you could drop a flame (such as a lighted match) into the tank of oil and it would immediately extinguish. Oilheat efficiency is partly due to the small amount of oil that is actually used. The oil must heat to its vaporizing point (140 degrees) in order to burn at all. It also will never explode. Unlike other fuel systems that can release carbon monoxide into the air of your home with no warning, affordable oilheat will give you many warning signs (such as smoke or soot) in the unusual case of a malfunction. These give you plenty of time to have the unit serviced before there is any danger of carbon monoxide leaks.

Safe, efficient, affordable oilheat has been heating American homes for a century. Home heating oil will continue to be a great way to heat homes in the future. The United States has the largest emergency supply of oil in the world. Oilheat efficiency combined with our primary sources of oil supply (Canada and Mexico) help keep the supply stable.