Fuel Oil Vs Heating Oil: What’s The Difference?

Casey Energy Answers Your Heating Oil Questions

With so many options for heating your home, from propane to natural gas to electricity, you may be wondering about the best way to keep your house and your family warm. The best option for our damp, cold winters is oil heat. Other fuels just don’t provide the same heating energy. And, while it is a fossil fuel, the heating oil used today is a far cry from the product that was used just a few decades ago. Here are the answers to all your questions about heating oil.

What is heating oil?

Heating oil is a refined form of crude oil which comes from deep wells both on land and offshore. Most heating oil today is #2 heating oil, and all the heating oil in Connecticut and throughout New England is ultra-low sulfur heating oil. Ultra-low sulfur heating oil is cleaner—and cleaner-burning—than “regular” heating oil.

Is heating oil the same as fuel oil?

Fuel oil is a generic term that describes a variety of products distilled from petroleum or crude oil. Not all fuel oils are the same, but some can be used interchangeably in a pinch. For example, you can use diesel oil or kerosene in your furnace in an emergency, and if you have a diesel car, you could put heating oil in the tank and it would run. But you should never put gasoline in your oil-powered boiler or furnace, or attempt to run your car on heating oil.

What are the benefits of oil heat?

Heating oil has a higher BTU output per gallon than propane or natural gas. That means it will warm up your home faster. And, some electric heating systems like heat pumps don’t perform as well under colder temperatures, and have to work much harder to maintain warmth. That drives up your energy costs.

Higher BTUs also mean you’ll use your heating oil supply more slowly than, say, propane. That means that even if the per-gallon cost of propane is less than heating oil, you will pay less to heat your house with heating oil.

Heating systems and equipment that run on oil are generally less expensive to purchase, and tend to last longer. A heating oil-fired furnace can last nearly 30 years, and a heating oil-fired boiler can last 25 years. New heating oil systems also now burn fuel 99.9% cleanly, according to studies conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven Laboratory. That means heating oil is many times better for the environment than it used to be.

How safe is heating oil?

Most people are surprised to learn that heating oil doesn’t ignite at room temperature, and is nonflammable in liquid form. Heating oil must be heated to 114° and vaporized via the combustion process in order to burn.

As long as it’s stored properly, in a well-maintained storage tank, heating oil is safe for the environment, too.

Is heating oil clean?

Thanks in part to the transition to ultra-low sulfur heating oil, particulate emissions have been reduced significantly from the already low levels of the past few decades. So how much cleaner is it? The heating oil that was used 20 years ago had a sulfur content of up to 4,000 parts per million. In contrast, today’s ultra-low sulfur heating oil has a sulfur content of just 15 parts per million.

Because it’s so clean-burning, ultra-low sulfur heating oil improves the efficiency of your heating system—saving you money. It also helps your system last longer and reduces breakdowns.

How is heating oil stored?

Heating oil is stored in a tank on your property—either in your basement or outdoors, above or underground. Tank size depends on the size of your home, and can range from 275 gallons for a small one- or two-bedroom home up to 500 gallons or more. While you don’t want a tank that’s too small—you’ll need to get frequent deliveries, there isn’t really a benefit to having a tank that’s bigger than you need, either—if you use your home seasonally or only part time, you may need less oil than if you live there full time. The pros at Dorr are always happy to answer all your questions and help make sure you have a tank that’s the right size for your home and your usage.

How can I get heating oil delivery?

If you heat your home with oil, you need a heating oil company you can count on for reliable delivery service. Casey Energy has been providing reliable heating oil delivery to customers in northern Fairfield county and northern Westchester county since 1949. We provide convenient delivery service as well as price protection plans, equipment installation and service and so much more.

Contact us today to learn more and become a customer.