In the process of residential and commercial heating in the UK the use of natural gas and different categories of heating oil are frequent. They both have some of the advantages and disadvantages.
To decide what is good to be used, many concerns need to be taken care of. They are heating substances, level of comfort inside the home, price, delivery process, availability, and above all, environmental concerns.
In some places and areas, people are more linked to the use of home heating oil. But the constant changes in the price and the high level of air pollution have made this less attractive.
The points of this article will make a discussion about natural gas and heating oil which will be the best and most cost-effective option while using.
Let’s find here first what can be the benefits of using heating oil and natural gas at different points.
Benefits Of Using Heating Oil
In much of the research, it has been found that different kinds of heating fuels have more energy density than electricity and gasoline. Thus, the home heating oil can generate more substances of heat in every unit and are more useful in the cold.
Efficiency: It has also been found that a heating system can produce heat up to 92 to 93 percent whereas the other furnaces and boilers can make 85 percent of heat. Thus, you can get a profit of 90 pence in the UK if you use home heating oil.
Affordability: In the UK the use of furnace fuel has an average cost of nearly $538 as it is consumed by people in nearly 13,500 kWh in a whole year.
Independence of energy: The UK has made the goal to get 100 percent energy independence by the year 2040. Most of the energy will be counted from the levels of domestic use.
Reliability: The use of kerosene is a reliable choice for the people of the UK and this is used for heating the homes, cooking and lighting process.
Safety: The heating oil does not need much heat to burn fire and thus, it is considered to be safe in the atmosphere of the UK. Nevertheless, it does not have a flash point which means that it needs a certain level of temperature to generate heat.
Personal relation with the suppliers: In the UK nearly 1.5 million people use the furnace fuel. For this fuel within a period, people develop a good relationship with the suppliers if they get good prices and delivery options. They also get the suppliers in their localities.
Different options and payment plans: The suppliers of furnace fuel will give you different options of payment in the contract.
Benefits Of Using Natural Gas
In the UK the use of natural gas is also vital as it provides electricity and heat and is used as raw material for different industrial works. In the year 2021, nearly 73.8 percent of people used natural gas in the UK.
Cleanliness: Biogas or methane has clean-burning properties as compared to other kinds of fossil fuels. Nevertheless, it has some drawbacks.
Convenience: The use of biogas can be convenient for you as it has easy handling and many versatile aspects.
Better use in transportation: Due to its benefits for the environment, cost, and safety it can be better to be used in transportation.
Generating of electricity by gas in the United Kingdom: You can find that gas has come up as a significant substance in producing electricity in countries like the UK. For the year 2023, the UK produced nearly 17.5 million tons of electricity through the use of gasoline.
Differences Between Natural Gas And Heating Oil
As per reports oil and natural gas are different types of fuel sources. The oil is measured in litres/ gallon and gas can be measured in cubic metres.
Stability level of price: The price of natural gas is stable normally however, the price of heating oil changes as per the seasons.
Cost of operations: The propane and kerosene have differences in the cost of operations. They also vary as per the location and its usage process.
Impacts on the environment: Biogas substances can produce fewer pollutants in the air, however, it can have harmful substances of sulphur dioxide. On the other hand, heating fuels can disturb the environment and groundwater through their spills and leaks.
Off-grid Availability: The availability of gaseous fuel and other fuel oil will be based on the location. If you are going to buy heating oil you have to connect to local service providers. But, for gas, you can have more delivery options.
Usage levels for long terms: If you have an oil-fueled heating system, it can run for 30 years if you have the proper level of maintenance. Where the work period of propane and natural gas systems can be less.
Risk of explosion: Gasoline is more inclined to explosions than that of kerosene.
Frequency of need of maintenance of the heating system: The furnaces that carry home heating oil need more process of maintenance than the gas furnaces.
How the fuel is delivered: The heating fuel is delivered by road and the lines of gas are delivered in an automatic process.
Benefits Of Switching Oil To Natural Gas
The kerosene or diesel is taken from the substances of crude oil and thus, its price is affected by the ups and downs of crude oil prices in the market. On the other hand, gasoline comes at a cheap rate.
The reduced annual cost of utility: In the cost per unit of energy gasoline has less price than the home heating oil.
Natural gas is more energy efficient: Natural gas is more power efficient than furnace fuel. It has a high level of thermal efficiency and can be stored easily.
Less need to check the level of fuel: The furnace fuel tank needs regular check-ups and verification, nevertheless, you may not need to cheque that much if it is a tank of gasoline.
Less need for maintenance: As compared to other kinds of home heating oil the use of natural gas needs less frequency of maintenance.
Government incentives: The UK government has done the North Sea Transition Deal for the progress of new technologies of energy. They also have initiated the policies of GGSS or Green Gas Support Scheme for the promotion of using biogas.
Incentives from utility companies: There are various tax incentives for the use of gasoline in the UK. They are like PTC or production tax credit, the ITC or investment tax credit, and MACRS or the system of modified accelerated cost-recovery, etc.
The Pros And Cons Of Natural Gas And Oil Heating
The units of oil furnaces have little cost as compared to the substances of gas furnaces, nevertheless, the installation of the turbines of gas is linked to its management system and networks.
The output of the British thermal unit from gas heating is lower than that of oil heat: The British Thermal Unit or BTU has a higher level of output for heating oil than gas. The storing and using process of natural gas receives 1,030 BTUs/every cubic foot, where the BTUs are 138,690/every gallon for heating oil.
Gas furnaces are higher in cost than oil furnaces: In the UK you can purchase a furnace of gasoline or biogas by giving 10 percent to 25 percent more price than the furnace of oil.
You need to clean and maintain the oil furnace more frequently than the gas furnace: You need to do the cleaning and maintenance of the oil furnace within a very low time-frame.
Installation of a gas furnace can be expensive: The gas furnace can be installed by doing more expenses. This is connected to the size and efficiency of the furnace and the cost of labour.
Gas furnaces have less lifeline: The gas furnace can stay stable for nearly 15 years to 20 years and this is less than the stability of the furnace of kerosene.
In many areas heating oil is more easily accessible than gas: The home heating oil can be delivered easily to any place and thus, in many of the areas this is easily accessible by people.
Accessibility in remote areas: In the UK people in a few remote areas are not able to access the gas line and thus, they use kerosene.
Natural gas releases more of carbon monoxide: If not burned properly the natural gas can release harmful carbon monoxide. This can be harmful for babies and people who are elderly.
More chances of wrong use due to the wrong fuel container in natural gas: Many people store the biogas in the wrong fuel container. This can lead to misfires and even damage to the systems.
How Can People Use More Heating Oil?
Many reasons say that you can use more of home heating oil in place of gas. One of them is the cold weather of the UK where you can get the delivery of this fuel easily by a local supplier at a perfect price. In this country, the average home uses this fuel nearly 2500 litres/ a year.
Heating oil will work for a long time: If your home is insulated properly and it has a well-prepared thermostat, you can have the heating oil to work for 18 months to 20 months.
This fuel is working with new technology and innovation: The use of kerosene is affected by the use of real-time data, IoT, and more processes of digitization.
You will get more hot water with heating oil use: In the summers a home uses 24 to 25 gallons of furnace fuel for hot water. But in winter your home is heated by the system all day and you will also get hot water for free in this.
There are more control and service options: The heating oil suppliers give you different options, control, and management services for the fuel supply you get.
The Bottom Line
When you are going to be sure which one is the best in heating oil and natural gas you need to cheque various factors.
Firstly, you need to cheque their cost and availability. The cost and availability always make an impact on the usage. In the case of a high level of usage, the cost should always be friendly to your financial status.
Secondly, you need to verify the delivery situation. For heating oil supply you need to find a local delivery agent.
Within a comparison, it can be said that natural gas gives continuous levels of supplies with clean burning objectives. But for a few areas, you have to consider heating oil. They are also affected by the current updates of technology.
To make the best choice you need to verify the current updates of prices, climate change, and incentives and policies of the government for energy usage.