 What do you recommend consumers do to combat higher energy costs?
Heating oil consumers should first talk with their heating oil retailer about Oilheat buying programs such as price caps and fixed price programs. They should also establish a budget plan with their retail dealer.
The best strategy continues to be conservation. NORA has completed a 160 page training guide "Efficient Oilheat, An Energy Conservation Guide" which is the foundation for the NORA Gold Certification. This program educates technicians on energy conservation strategies ranging from simple thermostat replacements to system redesign including boiler replacements and how to analyze the energy savings for consumers. It also includes information on how to explain these energy improvements to the customer. Working with customers, Oilheat dealers can help them cut energy costs by 20 to 25 percent. Careful attention to energy conservation can cost effectively be achieved by nearly all consumers.
NORA estimates that a replacement of an older boiler that is burning 1200 gallons of oil per year could save nearly a third of the oil consumed and bring the house down to the national average of 800 gallons per year. If the party was paying $2.50 per gallon, this would save nearly $1,000 per year. Another way of looking at it is to say that the boiler conversion essentially lowered the cost per gallon by 33 percent or to $1.65 per gallon.
Less expensive modifications such as insulating pipes and ducts can save 5 percent per year, and even a modest tune-up may save 3 percent. For a house using 1000 gallons, these changes will pay for themselves in a short time.
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