Did you know that an estimated 400,000 homes across Scotland are out of reach of the mains gas? It’s not like you have much of a choice! If you aren’t connected to the main then you’ll need to use oil to heat your home.
But, if you’ve never lived in a home with oil heating, then it can seem a little daunting.
It’s worth noting that heating oil isn’t the booby prize of heating options. There are many great benefits to heating your home with oil, including:
- You get to live in the countryside
- Heating oil contracts are flexible
- You can take advantage of oil price drops
- Heating oil is a very efficient way to heat your home
- Heating oil is a safe way to heat your home
- You get to know your local supplier
Let’s look at the benefits of oil heating in a little more detail…
#1 You get to live in the countryside
Most built up areas will be attached directly to the mains gas. But more rural, isolated areas will need to use road delivery oil to heat up their house and water. An estimated 63% of rural households do not have access to mains electricity.
If you are a city bird, then it might be difficult to convince you that this is a positive. But, the chances are if you are looking at buying, or are already living in a house with heating oil, that you are well versed on the advantages or rural living.
You get to take advantage of the peace and quiet of the countryside. Away from the hustle and bustle of urban areas.
And, for this luxury and privilege you will need to use oil heating. So,it’s not so much a benefit of heating oil, but certainly one that goes hand in hand with it.
#2 Heating oil contracts are flexible
Unlike gas, which is usually contracted on a 12-18 month basis, heating oil is most often bought as and when you need it. This means you are not contracted, and can buy from whatever supplier you wish to. There is no exit fee if you decide you want to switch suppliers.
However, it’s worth noting that most heating oil suppliers will reward clients that sign up to a payment plan in a bid to incentivise loyalty. This isn’t just via monetary incentives, but can include things like priority deliveries in times of fuel shortages or bad weather.
Related content: What are the payment options for heating oil?
#3 You can take advantage of oil price drops
With most gas contracts, you commit to a fixed term, and with that a unit price that does not fluctuate during the year. This is great as it means you always know what you are paying. But, it also means that you don’t get to take advantage of any fluctuations in energy prices (until your contract is up).
Because you buy heating oil as and when you need it you can take advantage of any price drops; choosing to fill up your oil tank to coincide with when the price is the lowest.
There are a number of things that can affect the price of your heating oil, including:
- Your location
- How much oil you order
- How quickly you need it
- Whether you are on a payment plan or not
- What supplier you choose
- Whether the crude oil price is high or low
Overall, it’s more expensive to run a home on oil than it is on gas. However, the flexibility and lack of contact, means that you can stock up when the price is lowest to save yourself some money.
Related content: How much does oil cost in Scotland? 6 factors that impact heating oil prices
#4 Heating oil is a very efficient way to heat your home
Another benefit of heating oil is that it is a surprisingly efficient way to heat your home (assuming your boiler is in good working condition).
Oil burns at over 70 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than electricity or natural gas. This means that homes heated by oil will warm up more quickly. Plus, the efficiency of oil boilers is way higher than gas or electricity (around 90% efficient).
This all contributes to reducing oil usage, and keeping overall energy costs down.
Related: The simple guide to taking care of your heating oil system
#5 Heating oil is a safe way to heat your home
Oil is an extremely safe way to heat your home, something which is usually (understandably) high on most people’s priority list.
Oil will only ignite when it’s in the combustion chamber of your boiler. Plus, it’s non-explosive and will not burn in a liquid state. In fact, it’s so safe that if you drop a lit match into your oil tank it will extinguish by itself in a few minutes (side note: please don’t try this).
All this means you can rest easy, with the peace of mind that you and your family are safe if you are using heating oil.
#6 You get to know your local supplier
It’s certainly one of our favourite parts! Unlike with gas supplies, who are usually nameless conglomerates. You usually get to know your regular oil supplier, and can form a relationship with them.
At Carnegie Fuels, our tagline is “always there”. We are always there for our regular customers. We go the extra mile to ensure that if the worst should happen, they are never without oil.
The cons of heating your home with oil
Like we said, you don’t get a lot of say in the matter. And while oil is a great way to heat your home, like everything it does come with some negatives. We won’t touch on them too much (because this is all about the positives).
But these are the disadvantages of heating oil
- Oil heating is usually more expensive (for a like for like house)
- You have to arrange your oil deliveries (ie. you might forget)
- You need to maintain the oil tank, as well as the boiler
- You need a suitable place to store your tank
Related: The simple guide to taking care of your heating oil system
In summary: the benefits of heating your home with oil
So, while you might not get much choice in the matter, it’s still great to understand and appreciate the many benefits of heating your home with oil instead of gas.
And luckily, there are loads of benefits to heating your home using oil from the flexibility of contracts to the strong relationship you get to form with your supplier.
If you’ve just moved in to a new home, or if you’re looking for a new supplier then get in touch with us, and see if we can help.
