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For your information many newer homes and apartment buildings use oil for heating as well. Will grant you that anything built say within the past ten years or so probably is natural gas, but much depends upon several factors.
First not every street/area in NYC or surrounding suburbs have access to natural gas. If you are the only property in an area or the only one on your block that wants natural gas guess who is going to pay to run not only the pipes up your street, but the last mile into your home.
Other reason many prefer oil is that until recently due to the shale gas boom, oil usually is cheaper than natural gas.
Finally there is still a good number of old timers and even some youngsters that think natural gas is dangerous and will blow up your house. Well it can but only if misused and or equipment is malfunctioning, but we're not on that right now.
Many large apartment buildings in NYC are "dual fuel", that is they can burn either oil or gas. Others have two boilers, one for each fuel. The point is building management decides when to use each usually based upon outdoor temperature and cost.
For new construction going to gas if possible may be a no brainer. However for older buildings and homes the cost of a new boiler, pipes, etc.. could take years to recover. Savings may also be had cheaply by doing other things such as adding installation, new windows, etc...
$1 MILLION per year for our co-op...last year #6 oil, this year #2 oil, next year MAYBE natural gas depending on Con-Ed. I read that natural gas prices are soaring in this cold snap.
If by soaring you mean still significantly less to heat your home than oil..then sure..it's "soaring." I don't know whether $1M is alot or a little, depends on the size of the building, how old it is (efficiency), and what temp they keep it at. If the tenants like to be in t-shirt and shorts in the apt, then $1M might be cheap!
Yeah oil is more expensive. I have a modest two story 'semi' house, filled oil tank on December 9 with a new delivery scheduled for 1/30. I have used about 160 gallons so far, let's call it 175 by the time the delivery arrives. @3.50 per gallon that is $612.
$612 / 52 days = $11.77 per day
$11.77 per day = $364.85 per month
Can't be much different than natural gas, and it's a far cry from $800 per month....and I don't have to worry about my house BLOWING UP. I'll take oil any day of the week.
How many times do houses blow up from gas? You have better odds of winning the lotto. A real worry is dying from a car crash. The $800 per month is typical for larger older suburban homes, and for 3 family buildings when using oil.
It's not just old homes that use oil. It's about infrastructure and where you live. Where I live, the land is loaded with granite
and the NG companies will not invest in laying pipelines at a high cost. The old cost benefit analysis..
I'd love to have NG but it won't be happening where i live in the near future or if ever at all. And what about folks using Propane..the prices are up like 30% this year and there is a shortage of supply. I feel for those folks. But back on topic, i regulate our thermostat's in the house to save every dime we can. Already spent since the end of November over 1200 on heating oil.. I could get it lower but my mom likes to be warm and
will spend the extra money to make sure she is comfortable..)
A NG conversion would be wonderful, but just not in the cards in my neck of the woods..
My father in law has a 4 story build and converted to gas, he said he was getting killed by the oil companies manipulating oil prices in the Brooklyn area. They also don't show up regularly during the coldest season and it cost him tons of money in rent if somebody files a complaint the building was cold and they run out of fuel.
That's where gas trumps oil there is nobody needed for delivery and no fuel tank for storage.
Right now NG prices are historically less expensive compared to oil due to the shale gas boom. How long that will last is anyone's guess. Also as the federal government puts pressure on power plants and others to phase out coal in favour of NG that is going to be another huge draw on demand.
It is projected to last at least 100 years....how long is the oil going to last? MUCH shorter. However by then alternate energy will be in full swing so gas/oil might be small players!
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I could get it lower but my mom likes to be warm and
