Why Should I Upgrade My Heating System?
Wintertime puts every home heating system in Connecticut to the test. Some pass with flying colors, providing users with ideal comfort, energy savings and peace of mind. Others ... well, not so much.
How did your heating equipment perform last winter? Were there cold spots in your home -- rooms or wings that were much colder than others? Did your boiler, furnace or radiator break down at any point? Did your heating equipment require multiple service calls or repairs? And what about your fuel costs? Do they continue to rise even when you use your system less?
If you answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, then it might be time to replace your home heating system. (And if you answered 'yes' to more than one, plus your heating equipment is more than 10 years old, then it's definitely that time.) The good news is that upgrading to a new, high-efficiency boiler or furnace can greatly improve your comfort, reduce your fuel costs and give you year-round peace of mind.
Let's take a look at what a new home heating system can do...
- Heating fuel and technology have advanced in the past decades, with innovations like ultra-low sulfur heating oil Bioheat® Fuel, smart thermostats, smart burners, and condensing boilers, all of which can vastly improve your home comfort, especially in the winter.
- A licensed Connecticut fuel dealer can help you set up your building for even, whole-home central heating, which eliminates cold spots and makes your place feel homey and comfortable on even the coldest Connecticut winter nights.
- For bigger buildings, with new renovations or separate wings and extensions, a multi-zone heating system will allow you to control the temperature in each section of your home. Talk to a licensed fuel dealer to find out if a multi-zone system is right for your building.
- Two facts you should never forget when it comes to choosing a heating system: ultra-low sulfur heating oil has the highest thermal capacity of any heating fuel, and biodiesel-blended heating oil, known as Bioheat® Fuel, has the highest of any alternative fuel.
- Oil-fired boilers and furnaces come labeled with AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) ratings as high as 95%, but the real fuel efficiency and savings are typically even higher than what it says on the label.
- Upgrading to a high-efficiency heating system can reduce your annual fuel costs by as much as 40%, so the new unit can pay for itself in just a few years.
- Upgrade & Save Connecticut provides $300 rebates for oil-fired boilers and furnaces with an AFUE of 83%-89%, and $650 rebates for oil-fired boilers and furnaces with an AFUE of 90% or higher.
- Since 2016, more than 800 Connecticut residents have upgraded to higher-efficiency home heating systems, boosting their energy efficiency on average by more than 13%. Click here to find a dealer who can help you Upgrade & Save.
- An energy-efficient combi boiler (short for combination) can provide both heating and hot water, so you won't have to use multiple systems or fuels. In fact, there is never a time when you need to switch fuels. Click here to find out more.
- A licensed Connecticut fuel dealer can provide efficiency tests or system comparisons, often at no cost, which will show you the real efficiency of your current home heating system and the real fuel savings you'd see from a new unit.
- When correctly installed by a licensed Connecticut fuel dealer, a new home heating system can be expected to perform reliably for 15-20 years, and even longer if you have the system serviced regularly.
- Many of Connecticut's ultra-low sulfur heating oil and Bioheat fuel dealers offer preventive maintenance and service plans that help protect against heating system breakdowns and keep your equipment running reliably all year long.
- Worried about your fuel storage tank? Upgrade & Save Connecticut offers a $300 rebate for the installation of a new double-wall tank or $150 for a new single-wall tank.
- Since 2016, more than 200 Connecticut residents have replaced their storage tanks through the Upgrade & Save program. Collectively, they saved nearly $50,000. Click here to find a dealer who can help you Upgrade & Save.
- Cold climates demand cold-climate-ready heating fuels and equipment. That's why in the Northeast U.S., more than 4.7 million homes depend on oil-fired heating systems for their winter warmth.
- More than 2.1 million of these Northeast homes are in New England, and more than 580,000 of those New England homes, or more than 35%, are here in Connecticut. Our state is a Bioheat Fuel state.
If you'd like to make your home warmer, more energy efficient, and safer for the winter, contact a licensed Connecticut fuel dealer near you.
Want to hear more about the affordability, reliability and renewability of Connecticut's cleaner, greener home ultra-low sulfur heating oil? Click here to discover the benefits of Bioheat fuel.
