Anyone do an oil-to-gas conversion in CT lately? (how much, house)

Lintu · 10-08-2012, 05:50 AM

How much did it run?

We have a new-ish oil furnace (2004) so it's not really in need of replacement, but the costs are just getting outrageous. We already have a gas line to the house and ductwork in place. I'd love to hear it wouldn't be that bad...

TobinJ · 10-11-2012, 10:08 AM

You covered most of the expense/delay by having ducts and city utilities. Get a quote from a gas company on a furnace. Try Daniels they gave us the best quote on a furnace at our old place, great service too. Some that sell oil will buy back your unit and/or oil.

Lintu · 10-11-2012, 12:10 PM

Thanks for the reco!

red999 · 10-12-2012, 01:51 AM

I did one last year right in the middle of the October snow storm. Already had a gas line coming into the house. Total cost was $6500 (got $600 in rebates for the boiler) for a new hot water tank, new boiler, and removal of old oil tank. I have baseboard heating.

Brian26 · 10-13-2012, 04:52 AM

Convert and save around 50-70% compared to oil. We have such a glut of natural gas here in the usa. Its also nice to use a domestic source of fuel and support jobs here in the states. Who profits from heating oil?

You have the line already to your house. (Though the gas company will run the lines to your house for free) Some oil units can convert easily by just a few parts and it can cost a few hundred dollars.

The savings is massive. I converted to a Rinnai on demand unit and it was around $1500 but I have a relative in the hvac trade who did it for free. PM me if you want a good company for a free qoute.

In 2011 alone, the price of natural gas dropped 31 percent. Since 2009, the price of a BTU from gas has been cut in half.

The price of a gallon of oil has risen from about $2.40 in early 2009 to $4.10 in early 2012, nearly a 71 percent increase. The same goes for users of propane who have seen 30 percent price increases during the same period

America’s natural gas is looking irresistibly cheap. With crude prices rising and gas sliding further, oil is now about eight times dearer than gas based on energy content, according to consultancy Navigant - the biggest gap since Harry Truman was in the White House in the 1950s. Global shifts dictate the price of the black stuff, but local market forces should work on U.S. gas.

Natural gas in the U.S. is a bargain compared to oil

Brian26 · 10-13-2012, 06:04 AM

In its October 2012 Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is projecting that retail heating oil prices will average $3.80 per gallon this winter (October-March), which would be $0.07 per gallon above last winter's average of $3.73 per gallon, and the highest on record.

Be prepared for the highest heating oil prices on record.

Cambium · 10-14-2012, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian26

In its October 2012 Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is projecting that retail heating oil prices will average $3.80 per gallon this winter (October-March), which would be $0.07 per gallon above last winter's average of $3.73 per gallon, and the highest on record.

Be prepared for the highest heating oil prices on record.

This is in line with my thinking and the pattern for the upcoming winter.

It might be one of those years we dont get a lot of snow but we are fridgid for a looong time which will increase demand for oil.

Wilton2ParkAve · 10-17-2012, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian26

Convert and save around 50-70% compared to oil. We have such a glut of natural gas here in the usa. Its also nice to use a domestic source of fuel and support jobs here in the states. Who profits from heating oil?

You have the line already to your house. (Though the gas company will run the lines to your house for free) Some oil units can convert easily by just a few parts and it can cost a few hundred dollars.

The savings is massive. I converted to a Rinnai on demand unit and it was around $1500 but I have a relative in the hvac trade who did it for free. PM me if you want a good company for a free qoute.

In 2011 alone, the price of natural gas dropped 31 percent. Since 2009, the price of a BTU from gas has been cut in half.

The price of a gallon of oil has risen from about $2.40 in early 2009 to $4.10 in early 2012, nearly a 71 percent increase. The same goes for users of propane who have seen 30 percent price increases during the same period

America’s natural gas is looking irresistibly cheap. With crude prices rising and gas sliding further, oil is now about eight times dearer than gas based on energy content, according to consultancy Navigant - the biggest gap since Harry Truman was in the White House in the 1950s. Global shifts dictate the price of the black stuff, but local market forces should work on U.S. gas.

Natural gas in the U.S. is a bargain compared to oil

Huge energy finds have hardly been limited to natural gas. There is an even larger find of domestic oil that can be extracted via fracking. For the last two years, the US has been a net exporter of oil for the first time in nearly 40 years. It's also a fallacy that you will save 50-70% switching to natural gas. The connect costs and furnace will average $5,000 and the local utilities are charging closer to $10 per CCF as opposed to the current market price of ~4.00. $10 in natural gas has the energy equivalency of $60/barrel of oil. However oil is trading in the low 90s so you are saving closer to 30-35% excluding connect costs. We also need to factor in the rush to export nat gas which will likely result in a global pricing of the resource. Currently the commodity is priced regionally and with great dispersion across the globe. In Northern Europe and Japan nat gas is above $15/CCF and at the breakeven of oil for heating purposes. The building of liquefaction plants and exporting of nat gas WILL lead to higher domestic prices. Arbitrage never lasts for long- hence the long term near parity 6:1 price relation of nat gas and oil.

Lintu · 10-17-2012, 11:35 AM

So here's one question I have.

We've had two providers come to take notes for estimates. One mentioned that we could do the 80% efficient gas furnace before they become illegal next year, but that it could actually depress the value of our home (because an inspector could tell people looking at the house that the furnace, while new, is out of date and technically not allowed to be put in anymore).

My thought was that just having gas over oil would be a selling point, and that having a high efficiency furnace might be a better selling point than an 80%, but would an 80% really depress the value??

TobinJ · 10-19-2012, 05:19 PM

Are you saving a significant amount on the purchase of that one vs the new style? Are you moving any time soon? The worst it can depress your value is what you're not spending to get the better model. If you're going to get a few years out of it before you sell it's a wash IMHO. Imagine the people who put one in last year who maybe didn't have the choice...for reference...when we were lookin for our house last year we wouldn't even look at oil homes now THAT is a depressed value.