Property owners in Brooklyn have several options when it comes to heating their homes. Historically, many homes in Brooklyn used heating oil to fuel boilers. Natural gas is a newer heating option that many homes have switched over to.
Both produce heat by burning fuel, but there are still many differences in delivery method, price, environmental impact, and safety between heating oil and gas. These factors can often result in natural gas being the better choice for homes and residential properties in Brooklyn.
Reasons to Consider Upgrading Your Brooklyn Property to Natural Gas
These are the various differences between oil and gas when using one of these fuels to heat your home:
- Delivery Method – Companies deliver heating oil to your home, usually on a schedule, where it is stored in tanks ready for you to use. Natural gas comes into residential properties through a gas main and National Grid meters usage. This means that you always have fuel when you need it and that you pay for exactly what you use. One limitation is that you need to have a natural gas line near your property or pay to have one installed.
- Cost – Natural gas tends on average to be more affordable than heating oil in Brooklyn. Another benefit is that the cost of natural gas stays largely constant while heating oil is known to fluctuate in terms of price. This makes it easier to budget with natural gas heating and save on utilities.
- Environmental Impact – New York City has outlawed heavy heating oils that lead to high pollution with the requirement that all homes must switch over to heating oil #2 or another fuel source prior to 2030. Natural gas burns cleanly and releases far less pollution than heavy heating oils, but it is also more eco-friendly than the safer heating oils when furnaces, boilers, and gas pipes are kept in good repair.
Although natural gas heating offers several benefits over heating oil in Brooklyn, cost is often the issue that prevents residential property owners from immediately making the upgrade. It is true that installing residential gas pipes can be costly, especially if there are not already gas lines running into your home or to an adjacent property.
But there are several factors that can offset these costs. This includes the ongoing cost savings of natural gas over heating oil and National Grid’s rebates for up to $1,000 to residential properties that upgrade their boilers and furnaces to modern high efficiency gas powered models.
One of the best ways to get started with the natural gas installation in Brooklyn is to contact Empire Plumbing Inc, a local licensed master plumber. We can write a cost estimate for making the upgrade at your home based on current infrastructure. Contact our team today for more information about our Brooklyn master plumber services.