- Home
- Personal Finance
- Six Home Heating Alternatives- Part One
Six Home Heating Alternatives- Part One
|
By Victoria
|
Six Home Heating Alternatives- Part One
With energy prices on the rise, every change we make to our fuel consumption can have a substantial effect on utility bills. More and more homeowners are converting to alternative energy sources in order stay warm without burning money.
1. Transfer to Natural Sources
More than 50% of American homes are already heated by natural gas. But the nation's 8 million heating oil customers could greatly benefit by converting to natural gas. A majority of households using oil for heating purposes are in the Northwest, an area which is seeing a huge increase in homeowners expressing interest in alternative energy sources.
Heating oil costs are predicted to increase by over 30% nationally this winter, says the Department of Energy. Natural gas prices are expected to rise also, but by a modest 22%.
David Graves of the natural gas and electricity supplier The National Grid says that converting from oil to natural gas can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $7,000 depending on the size and energy efficiency of the home. Companies' fees will vary so it is important to shop around for the best quote. Although this may seem a lot of money to part with at first, with the savings made each month the new system will pays for itself in time.
As well as saving money on fuel consumption costs, natural gas saves consumers money in maintenance costs. Natural gas burns cleaner than oil and so not to mention being more environmentally sound, it reduces the wear on your boiler meaning less call outs.
However, this option is not for everyone.
Natural gas is not considered to be a 'deliverable fuel' like oil and so unless you live close to a supplier, you may not be able to convert. For those who do have access to it, there are some fantastic benefits. It doesn't just heat your home, it can also be used to run fireplaces, tumble dryers and water heaters.
Although natural gas isn't dirt cheap and its prices continue to steadily rise with its alternatives, it is a cheaper and cle
aner option for those with access to it.
2. Harness the Earth's heat
Oil and gas sources are both pumped out of the ground and burnt to produce energy meaning they are unsustainable and generate harmful waste by-products which impact on the environment. An alternative which combats both of these issues is geothermal or ground-source heat pumps.
These pumps utilise a network of pipes to distribute liquid underground to obtain warmth in the cold months and diffuse heat in the warm ones.
Jim Bose, executive director of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association says that the cost of installing a geothermal system ranges from $5,000-$10,000, but when set aside the fact that it can shave almost 35% off of homeowner's energy bills at a time when they are expected to rise by 20%, this could be a very wise investment.
The original cost of the system installation is said to be recovered in savings after just five years and the pumps themselves can last up to 30 years, with surprisingly low maintenance costs.
Another incentive making geothermal systems all the more attractive is the fact that until recently the government encouraged conversions with a $300 tax credit. Although this has expired, talks of renewing and even expanding the incentive are taking place.
3. Let the sunshine in
The reasons are clear- it's economical, clean and sustainable.
In a perfect world every home would be designed to harness the suns rays to keep it warm, but in reality the success of passive solar heating depends entirely on the local climate, and it is not yet able to replace a conventional heating system altogether.
It is a useful energy source to consider when designing new buildings, but not really an option for those wanting to convert from a conventional source as primarily it is the actual site and positioning of the house which is the fundamental component of passive solar energy's efficacy as well as large, south-facing windows and floor and wall insulators specially made to absorb heat. This allows the sun to collect the warmth in the day and store it up until night fall when it is released.
1. Transfer to Natural Sources
More than 50% of American homes are already heated by natural gas. But the nation's 8 million heating oil customers could greatly benefit by converting to natural gas. A majority of households using oil for heating purposes are in the Northwest, an area which is seeing a huge increase in homeowners expressing interest in alternative energy sources.
Heating oil costs are predicted to increase by over 30% nationally this winter, says the Department of Energy. Natural gas prices are expected to rise also, but by a modest 22%.
David Graves of the natural gas and electricity supplier The National Grid says that converting from oil to natural gas can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $7,000 depending on the size and energy efficiency of the home. Companies' fees will vary so it is important to shop around for the best quote. Although this may seem a lot of money to part with at first, with the savings made each month the new system will pays for itself in time.
As well as saving money on fuel consumption costs, natural gas saves consumers money in maintenance costs. Natural gas burns cleaner than oil and so not to mention being more environmentally sound, it reduces the wear on your boiler meaning less call outs.
However, this option is not for everyone.
Natural gas is not considered to be a 'deliverable fuel' like oil and so unless you live close to a supplier, you may not be able to convert. For those who do have access to it, there are some fantastic benefits. It doesn't just heat your home, it can also be used to run fireplaces, tumble dryers and water heaters.
Although natural gas isn't dirt cheap and its prices continue to steadily rise with its alternatives, it is a cheaper and cle
2. Harness the Earth's heat
Oil and gas sources are both pumped out of the ground and burnt to produce energy meaning they are unsustainable and generate harmful waste by-products which impact on the environment. An alternative which combats both of these issues is geothermal or ground-source heat pumps.
These pumps utilise a network of pipes to distribute liquid underground to obtain warmth in the cold months and diffuse heat in the warm ones.
Jim Bose, executive director of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association says that the cost of installing a geothermal system ranges from $5,000-$10,000, but when set aside the fact that it can shave almost 35% off of homeowner's energy bills at a time when they are expected to rise by 20%, this could be a very wise investment.
The original cost of the system installation is said to be recovered in savings after just five years and the pumps themselves can last up to 30 years, with surprisingly low maintenance costs.
Another incentive making geothermal systems all the more attractive is the fact that until recently the government encouraged conversions with a $300 tax credit. Although this has expired, talks of renewing and even expanding the incentive are taking place.
3. Let the sunshine in
The reasons are clear- it's economical, clean and sustainable.
In a perfect world every home would be designed to harness the suns rays to keep it warm, but in reality the success of passive solar heating depends entirely on the local climate, and it is not yet able to replace a conventional heating system altogether.
It is a useful energy source to consider when designing new buildings, but not really an option for those wanting to convert from a conventional source as primarily it is the actual site and positioning of the house which is the fundamental component of passive solar energy's efficacy as well as large, south-facing windows and floor and wall insulators specially made to absorb heat. This allows the sun to collect the warmth in the day and store it up until night fall when it is released.
Tags & Keywords : home heating, money, saving, environment, gas, global warming, solar power, heating systems