Heating oil comes from crude oil and is closely related to the diesel fuel that is commonly used to power trucks and other types of vehicles. In the U.S., the oil used as heating fuel comes from a combination of oil refineries located in the country and imports from countries such as Canada.

Steam Heat (NO)-Steam heat uses only gas to heat up your home so a power outage will not cause you to lose heat. Forced Air Heating (YES)- With this type of heating system, unfortunately, you will lose heat if the power goes out. This typical furnace and duct work system will need electricity in order to operate.

Gas or oil fired heaters use less power – as little as 2500 watts. Also, does an oil furnace work in a power outage? These appliances do not require as much electricity as an electric boiler, furnace, or baseboard, but they still cannot function without power.

Heating Oil is a blanket term referring to a wide array of fuel formulas. What this means is that it can become heavier than diesel fuel, with a similar weight to motor oil. As a result, it provides more heat without burning a lot of fuel in the process.

Gas furnaces have an efficiency rating between 89% and 98% while oil furnaces have lower ratings between 80% and 90%. As seen, gas furnaces are more efficient. However, their efficiency comes at an extra cost, making gas furnaces more expensive than oil furnaces.

Safe Home Heating A common myth of heating oil is that it’s unsafe, but that could not be further from the truth. Heating oil comes in a liquid form that, even when exposed to a high degree of heat, will not explode. It’s also unlikely that you would have to deal with carbon monoxide poisoning.

On a global level, gas is also safer than heating oil for the planet because natural gas sends 25 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than oil.

275 gallons