| Everyone wants to do what they can to save | | | | temperature and accurate controls |
| money these days, and many people are also | | | | (programmable thermostats) will keep home |
| concerned with the impact that they are making | | | | temperatures in check. |
| on the environment (or their "carbon footprint"). | | | | That being said, of the three choices above (air |
| A great way to save money on your energy bill | | | | vents, aluminum radiators and cast iron radiators) |
| each month and to do right by the environment | | | | the cast iron radiators are generally considered to |
| at the same time is to evaluate the current | | | | be the most efficient because as the iron gets |
| heating system in your home and determine | | | | heated from the hot water it retains and |
| whether or not you need to upgrade to a newer, | | | | continues to give off heat where the other two |
| more efficient system. | | | | options will not. |
| Lots to Choose From | | | | Oil Heat Options |
| There are quite a few methods of heating your | | | | The oil heat options are strikingly similar to the |
| home, each has its benefits and each has its | | | | gas heating options, though radiators are much |
| potential downsides. There are forced air | | | | more common among homes heated by oil. As |
| systems, forced water systems (hydronic); | | | | with the gas heating options, the efficiency of the |
| electric baseboard heat and new styles of home | | | | system depends on the efficiency of the furnace |
| heating alternatives are cropping up every single | | | | and of the controls. |
| day. Your system could be powered by natural | | | | The cost of oil and gas both fluctuate, so which |
| gas, by home heating oil or by electricity. | | | | one is the more cost effective option for home |
| Some changes or renovations can bring about a | | | | heating could change, literally, on any given day. |
| lofty initial investment. Complete conversions from | | | | The one continuous benefit that gas has over oil |
| one source to another (like switching from oil heat | | | | is that it is readily available in your home at all |
| to gas heat) will require a whole new furnace, | | | | times, provided that you pay your bill - whereas |
| new conduit to deliver the oil or gas to the | | | | oil needs to be delivered to your home, so there |
| furnace, perhaps a new method of ventilation and | | | | is a chance that you could conceivable run out |
| even new components to deliver the heat where | | | | leaving you with no heat. |
| it needs to go. This, even if it will bring about a | | | | Electric Heating Options |
| reasonable monthly savings on the energy bill, can | | | | There are hardwired electric baseboard heaters |
| be too much of a financial undertaking for some | | | | that have a similar look to gas and oil aluminum |
| people, but the good news is that the furnaces of | | | | radiators, there are supplemental options of |
| toady are, as a whole, much more efficient of | | | | portable space heaters and individual units with |
| the furnaces of even just a few years ago. | | | | fans that can be installed in bathrooms, laundry |
| This means, that even if you can't afford the | | | | rooms etc. Electric heat has come a long way in |
| initial expense of replacing your entire heating | | | | improving efficiency, but as with gas and oil the |
| system for what seems to be the most efficient | | | | price of electricity fluctuates as well. Though vast |
| option overall, that you could still replace just your | | | | improvements have been made in recent years, |
| boiler with a newer, more efficient version and | | | | it's difficult for electric heat to compete with gas |
| end up saving a good deal of money on your | | | | and oil on entire home heating, especially in |
| annual energy bill. | | | | exceedingly cold environments. |
| Gas Heat Options | | | | With the constant fluctuation of prices for all of |
| A gas furnace can be either forced air, in which | | | | the fossil fuels, and with new innovations being |
| you'll have discharge vents throughout your home | | | | generated every day with wind and solar power |
| that dispel warm air to provide heat; or forced | | | | etc. It's really hard to determine what the single |
| water, in which you'll have either aluminum or cast | | | | most efficient method for heating your home is, |
| iron radiators in each room of your home that | | | | but if you're current system if more than ten |
| give off heat. The efficiency of either system | | | | years old, odds are you could experience |
| really depends on the efficiency of your boiler and | | | | substantial savings simply by upgrading to a |
| the control system that it operates on. Newer | | | | newer furnace or boiler. |
| boilers will use less fuel to attain the desired | | | | |