Why Fewer CT Residents are Choosing Gas Heat
Public News Service reports that Connecticut’s natural gas providers have fallen far short of their gas conversion targets. It’s not hard to see why. Although the utilities say that gas heat is cheaper, cleaner and more convenient than Oilheat, none of those claims hold up to scrutiny. Here are a just a few of the reasons CT residents aren’t going with gas:
- The cost of a gas conversion — including new equipment, gas line installation, a chimney liner, oil tank abandonment or removal, and the needed plumbing, electrical and landscaping work — can easily total up to $10,000 or more.
- Additionally, depending on how far your home is from an existing gas main, you may have to pay a 10% or 30% surcharge. At this rate, a gas conversion might take decades to provide a return on investment, or never provide one at all!
- Making matters worse, natural gas is comprised mainly of methane, a greenhouse gas with far more pollution power (not to mention, explosive danger) than the carbon dioxide emitted by oil, and thousands of leaking natural gas pipes have been discovered across New England.
- On the other hand, all heating oil in Connecticut is a cleaner variety known as low-sulfur heating oil (500 sulfur ppm), which has been shown to reduce heating system emissions and maintenance costs.
- Furthermore, in July 2018, Connecticut will make the switch to ultra-low sulfur heating oil (15 sulfur ppm), making the fuel that powers your heating system even cleaner and better for the environment.
Looking for sound advice on your heating fuel choice? Don’t just take the gas utility at their word. Instead talk to the multi-fuel service professionals at Sound Energy. We repair and install both natural gas and Oilheat equipment, and will happily provide a free conversion consultation to let you know which energy source works best for your home. Call 203-655-2539 to schedule yours today.
