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Oil/Propane Furnace Vs. Electric Heat Pump

Posted: September 20, 2021

Choose Your Heating Source Carefully to Stay Warm

heating options massachusettsAll of us here at Pioneer Oil and Propane support the goal of reducing carbon emissions in order to reduce the terrible consequences of climate change.

To that end, legislators in various states have embarked on an all-out effort to electrify everything, including the way we heat our homes. They mistakenly believe that converting away from all fossil fuels and installing electric heat pumps is the answer. But there are several problems with that strategy.

The Problem with Heat Pumps

To warm your home, a heat pump needs to extract heat from the air outside and transfer it inside. Yes, even cold air has heat energy in it!

But when it’s really cold, there isn’t generally enough heat energy outside for your heat pump to keep you comfortable. The house just never seems to warm up.

To stay warm, people have found that they need to rely on a backup energy source. A recent study conducted in Massachusetts showed that 9 out of 10 people who have converted to a heat pump keep their existing heating system (heating oil, natural gas, etc.) as a backup. And for good reason—83% said they were unhappy with their heat pump’s performance in very cold weather.*

Plus, according to the same study, the cost alone to convert from another heating source to an electric heat pump can top $21,000. That’s guaranteed to make you shiver even more.

Propane Vs. Electricity

Take a look at some of the ways propane and electricity stack up against one another. You may be surprised by what you learn, but if you care about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, this is the right comparison to look into.

Electricity production generates the second-largest share of greenhouse gas emissions, after transportation, according to the EPA.

And according to the Propane Education and Research Council, propane produces 43% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using an equivalent amount of electricity generated from the U.S. grid. This makes propane a cleaner-burning energy source that can reliably heat homes and water, fuel multiple indoor and outdoor appliances, and even power vehicles.

Stay Warm with Propane

Fueling your Massachusetts home with a propane gas furnace (or propane gas boiler) will help you cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, and your home will stay warm and toasty when the temperatures drop. With propane, you’ll be cutting back on your carbon footprint, and you’ll be using a safe fuel as well. In fact, if propane leaks, it dissipates without leaving residue or a spill of any kind.

Bioheat® Fuel vs. Electric Heat

In addition to propane, other increasingly clean options for powering your home do exist. If you get Bioheat® fuel delivered to your tank, you’re also part of the solution in the movement toward a carbon-neutral future.

Contact the Pioneer Oil and Propane office today! We’d love to speak with you about installing a new heating system and the ways you can heat your home with clean-burning fuels like propane and Bioheat fuel.