Converting from Electric to Oil

FAQs About Converting from Electric to Oil

• How much will it cost to convert from electric heat to oil heat?
  
  The cost depends on the size and construction of your home and the type of electric heat you have. Conversions involving heat pumps or electric boilers and furnaces are the simplest and least expensive, costing anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000. Other types of electric heat, such as baseboard heat, will cost more, usually from $8,000 to $15,000.
  
  Even though it seems costly, a conversion from electric to oil heat is an investment that will lower your heating bills and increase the value of your home. In fact, many homeowners who finance such a conversion find that their monthly energy savings nearly cover the cost of their loan payments, and they realize the return on their investment in just a few years.
  
  If you would like a better idea of what it would cost to convert your home's heating system to oil, please call us at (410) 235 1066 or (800) 834 8590 or contact us via e-mail at contactus@carrollfuel.net. One of our experienced sales representatives can give you a no-obligation estimate and can answer all of your questions about the conversion process.
  
  
• What's involved in the actual conversion process?
  • If you have ductwork in your home, there is no structural change required. We simply supplement the heat pump with a furnace or boiler and heat exchanger that uses the existing ducts.
  • If you have electric baseboards, there is some structural change involved. We generally install a new hot-water based system which involves a new boiler, new baseboard radiators and water lines to connect them.
  • If you prefer a forced-air system, we would install a furnace and ductwork. Installing forced-air will also allow for the addition of a central air-conditioning system.
• Will I lose my air-conditioning if I convert to oil?
  
  If you convert to oil heat, this will almost never affect your air-conditioning system. If you are interested in converting to oil, one of our experienced technicians can examine your air-conditioning system to determine what effect, if any, converting to oil heat would have.
  
  Generally, if you have a heat pump, it can remain in place to provide air-conditioning in the summer, and your oil heat system can take over to provide heat in the winter. If you have electric baseboards, your air-conditioning is nearly always handled by a separate system, so a conversion to oil would not affect it at all.
  
  
• Is oil heat really that much more efficient than electric?
  
  Yes, it is. Most homeowners who switch from electric heat to oil heat notice a substantial difference in their heating bills each month, some as much as 50%. Because oil heat systems burn at such a high temperature, they warm a home more quickly and keep it more comfortable than do electric heating systems. Heating contractors have measured oil-heated air from the register to be more than 30^o F warmer than electric-heated air.
  
  
• Why do most new homes come with heat pumps?
  
  From a homebuilder's perspective, heat pumps are the most efficient way to provide both heating and central air-conditioning. Most home buyers are unaware of the inefficient heating they provide and the considerable expense associated with their operation.
  
  

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