November 29, 2022 – Appliances, Home Owners
Life is expensive right now. Everything from Big Macs to four-wheelers has increased in price, which can leave you slightly paranoid about how much is left in your bank account. It can also make your morning Starbucks run less appealing than in the past.
One area that is under more pressure than usual is fuel — including heating oil. Millions of households in the U.S. still rely on heating oil for warmth. With prices skyrocketing, heating a home with traditional oil will likely translate to a high energy bill in the months ahead. And yet, completely replacing an oil furnace is expensive, costing thousands of dollars.
One alternative for those still heating with oil is to supplement with propane space heaters and fire logs to offset a higher oil heating bill. Here are a few reasons why.
You Can Target Your Heat
A furnace will heat your entire home, whether you like it or not. That means when you’re sleeping, you’re heating the living room. When you sit down to eat dinner in the kitchen, the family room and den stay toasty, even if they’re empty.
By installing a propane heat source, like a fire log, you can target the areas of your home that you want to heat at any given moment. Don’t get us wrong; you still want to keep your entire house at or above 55 degrees in the colder weather if you want to avoid things like burst pipes and frostbite. Nevertheless, installing a heater dedicated to warming a specific space means you can heat those areas with minimal cost while using less fuel to heat your house.
You Get an Easy-Access Alternative
An oil furnace may be an old-school way to heat a home and can make you slightly nostalgic for your grandmother’s house. Even so, it’s still an easy way to stay warm and simply consists of setting the temperature and walking away.
In comparison, something like a pellet stove can be a hassle since you need to consistently refill it with pellets, which can kill the vibe when you want to relax by the fire in the winter. Real fireplaces are even worse. They require splitting and stacking firewood, letting it season, and then lugging it inside. You may build your triceps during the process, but you’ll also start to develop a hatred for your wood-burning fire.
A propane heat solution gives you the option of an alternative heat source with the preferred convenience of a “set it and forget it” furnace. The ease and affordability of installation through a professional like Paraco Gas make it an even more justifiable way to keep things simple when it comes to heating your home. Better yet, you are reducing your carbon footprint with a clean burning fuel like propane.
You Can Opt for the Cheaper Fuel
Most people will tell you that natural gas is the cheapest fuel source. When it comes to propane versus oil, factors like supply chain, geographic location, and individual providers can impact whether oil or propane is cheaper at any given moment.
And yet, by installing a fire log or using a propane space heater, you can choose between the two. As a result, you don’t have to surrender to whatever external factors affect your energy bill. Instead, you can heat more with your propane heater or your oil furnace, depending on the current market cost of both fuels.
Heating the Smart (and Affordable) Way This Winter
Heating a home is never cheap — but it can still be affordable. With the cost of heating oil going up with no sign of stopping, it’s important for homeowners to take back control of heating their homes again.
Installing a propane space heater or fire insert is one of the simplest ways to heat your interior setting. This gives you a simple, accessible, cost-effective way to reduce your energy bill without compromising your level of comfort throughout the season.