Comfort Line - Questions and Answers

A number of new homes in Sussex County are being offered with propane heat. In this issue we compare heating oil and propane.

Is propane more expensive than heating oil?

Yes, all fuels are rated based on their heat content. The unit of measure is a British Thermal Unit (BTU), which is the amount of energy needed to raise one pound of water one degree. Heating oil contains 140,000 BTUs per gallon, whereas propane contains only 91,300 BTUs per gallon. Therefore, it takes 1.53 gallons of propane to provide the same amount of heat as one gallon of heating oil.

In addition, propane consistently sells for 10-20 cents more per gallon than heating oil. When you combine this cost difference with the BTU difference, it costs twice as much to heat a home with propane. The accompanying cost comparison chart illustrates this fact.

Is propane more efficient than heating oil?

No! Heating oil is inherently a more efficient fuel than propane or natural gas. The reason for this is that the flame temperature of an oil flame is hotter than a gas flame. Several boiler manufacturers manufacture identical boilers that can be fired with either an oil burner or a power gas burner. In each case, the oil unit is approximately 4% more efficient than the natural gas or propane unit.

Which fuel makes more hot water?

Because of the hotter flame temperature, fuel oil is more efficient at generating hot water than natural gas or propane. The average recovery rate (the amount of hot water that can be made in one hour) for an oil fired hot water heater is 120 gallons per hour. On the other hand, the average recovery rate for gas fired hot water heaters is 40 gallons per hour. Therefore, fuel oil can make three times as much hot water at half the cost.

Which fuel is safer?

Fuel oil is significantly safer than propane. This is the reason why building codes allow fuel oil to be stored inside the home, whereas propane must be stored outside. Propane is highly flammable and explosive at room temperature. It is also heavier than air and does not dissipate readily in the event of a leak.

By contrast, heating oil is combustible but not flammable. It will not burn until it is heated to 140 degrees. In addition, fuel oil is safer than either natural gas or propane when it comes to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Take a look at the our Questions and Answers on Carbon Monoxide for more information.

Is propane cleaner then heating oil?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, modern oil equipment burns equally as clean as natural gas or propane.