Pennsylvania homeowners can thank the polar vortex for the freezing temperatures across the Keystone state. As a homeowner experiencing these extremely cold temperatures and wintery conditions, you may be looking into alternative energy options in order to maximize savings while keeping your home at a comfortable temperature. Natural gas, oil, and propane are all fuel options used to heat homes throughout Pennsylvania, but which one is best for your home?
When selecting which fuel to heat your PA home, you should not only consider the cost but also the energy efficiency of the fuel source—either natural gas, oil, or propane.
UGI EnergyLink has been providing services to keep homes warm for over 127 years and we’ve broken down the advantages and costs of each heating choice for the 2014-15 season based on estimates and data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
See what rates you can get for heating your PA home with UGI EnergyLink »
Cost of Oil to Heat Your Pennsylvania Home
Although using oil to heat your home is a traditional form of fuel across Pennsylvania, you can expect to pay significantly more by selecting oil for your home. Oil heating is:
- Costly—some estimate that oil heating is five times as expensive as natural gas.
- Imported from abroad—oil often comes from regions that are economically and politically unstable.
- Stored in tanks rather than delivered through pipelines—meaning that once the oil tanks in your home are empty, your house will become cold. Oil is less expensive when bought before the heating season, so it may be not only a hassle to refill your home heating oil tank mid-winter, but also costly.
Learn more about using oil to heat your home »
Cost of Propane to Heat Your Pennsylvania Home
Propane is a heating fuel that is produced from natural gas, so it is inherently more costly due to the increase in energy resources required to yield the fuel. Residents of PA also find that propane as a home heating choice may experience:
- Volatile seasonal fluctuations in price—costs often spike unexpectedly and disproportionately compared to normal supply and demand fluctuations
- Higher cost at peak season—while a high demand will normally cause a price spike, since propane can be difficult to obtain during the heating season, the price jumps even more
Learn more about using propane to heat your home »
Choosing Natural Gas to Heat Your Pennsylvania Home
As a heating source for your home, natural gas is the obvious choice as compared to oil or propane. It is:
- Affordable—costs are typically much lower than propane or oil heating costs
- Predictable—our fixed-rate pricing plan allows you to expect your monthly heating costs compared to fluctuating costs of oil or propane, but we also offer variable pricing depending on your preferences
- The cleanest burning fuel source—natural gas is the cleanest burning fuel option and emits less greenhouse gases than oil or propane
- Domestically abundant in supply—Pennsylvania is over a huge shale that is one of the biggest producers of natural gas domestically
The state of Pennsylvania is becoming one of the most productive gas resources in the United States and the world. This allows us the opportunity to offer lower prices than we could have if there was less supply of natural gas.
If you’re looking for more reasons to switch to natural gas to save on your heating costs this winter, the EIA also forecasts that this winter’s natural gas heating costs are lower than the previous 5-year average (collecting data since October 2007).
Find out how much you could save with natural gas from UGI EnergyLink »
Switch to UGI EnergyLink’s Residential Natural Gas Services
Now is the perfect time to switch! Natural gas is not only a cleaner heating source when compared to oil and propane, but it is more affordable. And with UGI EnergyLink’s pricing options, you can avoid being surprised by your high heating costs (and instead know what to expect from your monthly energy bills). We offer various pricing options, including a fixed-rate program that adds predictability and affordability to your winter heating costs.
Ready to switch heat sources for your home this winter? If so, choose UGI EnergyLink. We are one of Pennsylvania’s largest natural gas providers, serving families from Allentown to Pittsburgh and everywhere between. Our fixed and variable rate programs are designed to help you save over time, making sure your home stays warm at an affordable price.
To learn more about the services offered by UGI EnergyLink, simply fill out our easy enrollment form—some basic information is all it takes to switch to our natural gas service and to get the opportunity to save in 2015.