Which Is Better For Your Home: Heating Oil Or Propane?
When it comes to keeping your home warm during the colder months, choosing between heating oil or propane can have a long-lasting impact on comfort, energy efficiency, and costs.
Both fuels come with distinct advantages and limitations. The right choice often depends on factors such as energy output, maintenance requirements, safety, environmental impact, and your home’s existing heating system.
In this guide, we will explore the key differences between the two fuels so you can make a confident decision that suits your household’s needs.
Understanding Heating Oil
Heating oil has provided reliable warmth for decades, especially in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. It is refined from crude oil into a clean-burning fuel stored in tanks on-site and delivered periodically.
Heating oil’s energy content is a major advantage, offering about 138,500 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per gallon, which is higher than propane. This means heating oil systems generally deliver more heat per gallon and lead to fewer deliveries over the winter.
The liquid form of heating oil is non-explosive, making it relatively safe to store. Storage tanks can be placed aboveground or underground to fit various home layouts. Recent advances have introduced ultra-low sulfur heating oil and biofuel blends. These developments reduce emissions and improve efficiency, resulting in a cleaner-burning fuel.
Understanding Propane
Propane is a versatile, clean-burning fuel that is stored as a liquid in pressurised tanks and used in both residential and commercial applications. Beyond heating, propane can power stoves, water heaters, clothes dryers, and even backup generators.
One of propane’s biggest selling points is its high efficiency when used in modern furnaces. Many propane heating systems can achieve 90–98% Annual Fuel Utilisation Efficiency (AFUE. This means nearly all the fuel is converted into heat.
Although propane’s BTU content per gallon, about 91,500 BTUs, is lower than heating oil, high-efficiency equipment can help offset the difference in energy content.
Propane also burns cleaner than heating oil, producing fewer carbon emissions. For households looking to reduce their environmental footprint without transitioning to electric heating, propane offers an appealing middle ground. Nevertheless, propane is flammable, and proper handling, installation, and regular inspections are important for safe operation.
Comparing Energy Output
When comparing the raw heating power of the two fuels, heating oil comes out ahead. It’s higher BTU content means more heat output per gallon. This is particularly beneficial in extremely cold climates where heat demand is high, as it reduces the frequency of refills.
However, propane’s advantage lies in its compatibility with highly efficient furnaces and boilers. These systems can help balance the lower BTU content by using fuel more effectively. This can potentially narrow the gap in actual heating performance.
For example, a propane furnace with 95% efficiency can deliver nearly the same comfort as a heating oil furnace with 85% efficiency, even though the BTU content of propane is lower. Your choice may come down to the type of equipment you have or plan to install.
Cost Considerations
Fuel pricing can fluctuate throughout the year based on market conditions, production costs, and seasonal demand. While propane prices per gallon are often lower than heating oil, the lower BTU content means you may need more gallons to produce the same amount of heat.
Heating oil systems, despite higher per-gallon prices in some regions, may require fewer total gallons over the course of a season. However, they can also come with slightly higher annual maintenance expenses due to soot buildup in combustion chambers and chimneys.
Propane systems generally require less maintenance, which can help offset higher usage costs over time. Still, upfront installation costs for propane systems, especially if you are converting from another fuel, can be higher than for heating oil systems.
It is important to consider not only fuel costs but also installation, maintenance, and potential upgrades when comparing long-term expenses.
Maintenance Needs
Heating oil systems require annual servicing to maintain efficiency and reliability. Because heating oil combustion produces small amounts of soot and residue, cleaning the burner and inspecting the tank, filters, and nozzles is important to keep the system running smoothly.
By contrast, propane systems produce almost no soot, which can mean fewer cleanings. While annual inspections are still recommended, the reduced residue makes propane equipment less susceptible to certain maintenance issues, potentially extending the life of the system.
Safety Factors
Safety is another important consideration in this decision. Heating oil is non-explosive in its liquid state, making it one of the safest fuels to store and handle. Even in the unlikely event of a leak, the risk of combustion is minimal without extreme heat.
Propane, while safe when stored and used properly, is a flammable gas under pressure. Leaks can pose both fire and health hazards. For this reason, systems must be installed to code and inspected regularly.
Homeowners using propane should also have gas detectors and be familiar with the smell of odorized propane, which acts as a warning signal in case of a leak.
Environmental Impact
From an environmental perspective, propane has a clear advantage in terms of carbon emissions. It produces fewer greenhouse gases compared to heating oil, making it a cleaner-burning option.
However, modern heating oil has made significant progress toward becoming more eco-friendly. Ultra-low sulfur heating oil produces far fewer sulfur dioxide emissions. When blended with renewable biofuels, its carbon footprint can be reduced even further.
Both fuels can play a role in sustainable home heating when paired with high-efficiency systems and regular maintenance.
Flexibility and Applications
Heating oil’s primary role is to heat your home and water through boilers or furnaces. It is reliable in extreme cold and brings high heat output, but it is generally not used for other appliances.
Propane, on the other hand, brings more flexibility. It can power multiple household systems beyond heating, such as kitchen ranges, clothes dryers, and outdoor grills. This versatility can make it appealing for homeowners who prefer to run multiple systems on the same fuel source.
Availability and Delivery
Both heating oil and propane are widely available in Pennsylvania and Maryland, with delivery services offered by companies like ours to keep your tanks full year-round.
Heating oil delivery typically involves filling an aboveground or underground tank located on your property. Propane delivery works in a similar way but requires pressurised tanks. Some propane users opt for larger tanks to extend the time between deliveries, particularly in rural areas.
For homeowners who value quick, dependable service, the delivery infrastructure for both fuels is well-established. Supply disruptions are rare outside of extreme weather events.
Choosing Based on Your Current System
For many homeowners, the choice between heating oil and propane is determined by their current heating system. Replacing a heating oil system with a propane system, or vice versa, can be costly. The most practical option is often to stick with the existing setup and focus on improving efficiency.
If you are building a new home or undertaking a major renovation, you have more flexibility to choose a system based on efficiency, fuel availability, and desired applications.
Regional Preferences and Climate Considerations
In colder climates, heating oil is often preferred for its higher heat output and ability to quickly warm a home, even during subzero temperatures. Propane, while still effective in cold weather, can lose some efficiency in extremely low temperatures if stored outdoors without proper protection.
In milder climates, propane’s efficiency and versatility may make it the more attractive choice, especially if you plan to use it for multiple appliances.
There is no universal answer to the heating oil versus propane question. It comes down to your home’s needs, your priorities, and your budget. Heating oil brings higher heat output per gallon and a strong track record in cold climates. Propane provides cleaner emissions, high-efficiency system options, and versatile uses beyond home heating.
Why Work with Aero Energy
At Aero Energy, we deliver both heating oil and propane to homes and businesses across Pennsylvania and Maryland. With over 90 years of experience, our team understands the unique heating needs of our region. We offer dependable deliveries, expert system maintenance, and competitive pricing backed by our 3-day delivery guarantee for online self-service customers.
Whether you are looking to maintain your current system or explore new options, our knowledgeable team is ready to help you make the choice that keeps your home comfortable and your energy use efficient.
We believe in building trust through reliable service, and we would be glad to show you why so many homeowners count on us year after year.