Is Natural Gas a cheaper way to heat your home than oil?
Natural Gas is the best way to heat your home when it comes to comfort and convenience. But with rising energy prices – how does the cost of natural gas stack up against Home Heating Oil? Using the latest data compiled by the NI Consumer Council we estimate that the cost of Gas Heating remains cheaper than Oil by on average around 20%.
Although a lot of attention has focused on the rises in Natural Gas and Electricity Prices – Home Heating Oil prices continue to soar. Therefore consumers who want to reduce their energy consumption and monthly bills should look to replace their old inefficient oil boiler with a high-efficiency natural gas boiler and also install Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation.
NI Consumer Council track rising Home Heating Oil Prices
The Northern Ireland Consumer Council has recently updated its home heating oil price tracker Home Heating Oil Price Checker- Tool | Consumer Council
Every week the Consumer Council survey home heating oil suppliers across Northern Ireland. Their latest survey shows the current average cost of a 900L fill of Oil costs £546.62. By way of context, on 31 March 2021, the average cost for a 900L fill was £329.86. This is a rise of 65.7%.
The cost of Natural Gas Heating for an average NI Family is an estimated 20% less than Oil
The Consumer Council estimate that the average family using Oil to heat their home consumes approximately 2,700 litres per annum. This means that at today’s prices, the annual cost of heating an average NI family home with heating oil is £1,639.56 pa.
By comparison, the cost of heating the average NI family home with natural gas is £1,309.36 pa. ( Based upon the most recently announced NI natural gas tariff increase which takes effect in the Firmus 10 town area on 24 February 2022). This is more than 20% less than home heating oil. This is based upon the latest average annual gas usage of 12,000 kWh for UK homes. (Taken from the leading UK energy price comparison site Selectra Home Energy: Average Gas & Electricity Usage UK (selectra.co.uk)
Natural Gas also benefits from being much kinder to the environment than heating oil. By changing to natural gas from home heating oil consumers can reduce their carbon emissions by up to 50%.
Pair a new Gas Boiler with Upgraded Insulation to reduce your energy usage and save more on your heating bills
The savviest consumers who want to minimise their exposure to rising energy costs should look to:
- Switch from Home Heating Oil to Natural Gas
- Upgrade old inefficient oil or gas boilers with an A-Rated Highly Efficient Natural Gas Boiler
- Install or Top-Up existing Loft Insulation
The Energy Savings Trust estimates that the average NI homeowner could save at least a further £135 pa by installing loft insulation. They also estimate that customers could save a further £155 pa by installing Cavity Wall Insulation Measures to help reduce home heat loss – Energy Saving Trust. And because these savings are based upon energy prices as of November 2021, the actual savings that could be made in 2022 are likely to be even more.
Refresh NI is a One-Stop Shop for your Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade
Refresh NI offers a One-Stop Shop for customers wishing to undertake a Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade. This comprises Oil to Gas Conversion, Loft Insulation, and Cavity Wall Insulation.
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