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Call the big boys and demand they throw in a service contract for free.
Just like buying a new car, wait until you negotiate the oil price then play hardball for the contract. They pull a Jedi mindtrick similar to what car dealers do, if you get them for the contract before the oil price they just give you a higher rate on the oil to compensate for the "free" service contract.
My opinion though, unless you've got open walls/ceilings to put in all new insulation, I don't think it's feasible to tighten up the house to the point where it makes a monetary difference.
I disagree. Ever seen these homes on LI that were built to the 1950's energy code? They have, well what was once R-19 in the attic. But after 50+ years its so brittle and worn down that its useless. I went from that to R-49 and the savings was very noticeable.
^ we re-did our old ranch into a 2-story and made sure to do a high R-rating in the 2nd floor walls and ceilings. Some 1st floor walls remain untouched, as well as windows. The house can still get drafty and as our energy audit suction test can attest to, it is hardly airtight. I'm not sure if you're a single-story with a buttoned up roof and fewer walls to worry about, but better insulation only in some areas hardly helps us in the big picture. Which is why I said what I said about having every wall done or it's not worthwhile. What kind of savings are you talking about in a year?
Gas cost us $87/mo. averaged out for the whole year. Compared to oil at over $4/gal at our previous house, it became a considerable difference. Apparently it still is if you're paying $300+/mo.
If you're staying in your home a long time, I'd consider converting for sure. No maintenance and no random cold nights waiting for them to show up to fix a clog. More satisfyingly, no haggling every year for a new contract.
My gas bill is pretty close, maybe 20 dollars more or less ...I had a really old 20 year oil burner and 50 year old underground tank that would stop working usually after a fill up. One of my fuel lines was 100% clogged... Petro charged me like 500 for the annual service contract, and 2 years ago the oil was 3.30 a gallon few years ago was rediclously high at 4+. I bought about 1200 gallons a year...I feel i saved a significant amount of money with the gas conversion...house is warmer, water is hotter, no more cold nights or break downs, dont need to worry about the aging underground tank leaking, and lots of cash savings. It was a win for me.
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