If you are ready to replace your heating boiler, it will probably come down to oil vs. gas. So what’s the difference?
The Cheaper Option
Heating oil may not be the cheaper option as gas has traditionally been the most popular heating fuel for UK consumers, mostly because it has always been low-cost, but there has been a massive shift in prices in recent months and with oil prices so low right now, natural gas is no longer the cheaper option.
In the last few years, home heating oil has been around 12% more expensive than natural gas. At the end of 2014, the balance tipped in oil’s favour and anyone with an oil central heating system was laughing all the way to the bank. Natural gas prices have fallen slightly in the last twelve months, but nowhere near as low as oil, so an oil central heating system is still by far the better option right now.
Location Matters
Depending on where you live, you might not have a choice as to the type of heating boiler you install. Not everyone has access to the mains gas network, so if you are one of millions of consumers who don’t, oil boilers are the smarter choice. In the past, consumers might have considered installing an LPG system, or even an eco-friendly ground pump heat exchanger, but if you go with either of these options, they will be a lot more expensive in the long run.
Energy Efficiency
New guidelines in place for the installation of heating oil and gas boilers state that all new and replacement boilers have to have an energy efficiency rating of A or B. They must also be condensing boilers. An older oil boiler is likely to be less efficient than an older gas boiler, so it is worth replacing it with a newer condensing model.
There may very little to choose from between new oil and gas boilers in terms of energy efficiency, but with any boiler, it is essential that you have it serviced every year, so problems can be fixed and the boiler remains as energy efficient as it possibly can be.
Before replacing a central heating boiler, always make sure your final choice is the right one for your current situation. For more information please visit the Value Oils website.
