Converting From Oil Heat to Gas Heat

Plumbers in Boston report that the ballpark up-front investment in converting from oil heat to gas heat is $10,000, and that figure varies depending on whether or not you need to run a pipe out to the municipal gas line. How long will it take for that investment to pay itself off?

These are four reasons why an oil heat to gas heat conversion might not pay off:

1. The cost of gas might rise. Right now natural gas is cheaper than oil, but if demand increases it is possible that the price of gas will rise. Home heating oil dealers compete with each other, and you also have options like biodiesel fuel blends. If you don’t like your oil supplier, you can change suppliers. Natural gas is (generally) delivered by the local utility company. If they raise the price of natural gas, there is not always a competitor to switch to.

2. Heating delivery problems can negate the value of your investment. According to Habitat Magazine, a magazine for board members and property managers of co-ops and condos, the investment in converting from oil heat to gas heat is worth little if the building has heat distribution problems. Ineffective heat distribution can cause overheating on lower floors, and cold temperatures on upper floors. Revamping your heat delivery system could improve the performance of your oil heater sufficiently to reduce the costs of using it. Revamping your heat delivery system might also be an added cost that would negate the value of the lower cost of natural gas.