Oil vs. Natural Gas - Words from the ICPA Executive Director

Here is what I can say because we know this as an absolute - oil has been less expensive than natural gas over the last 20 years, over the last 15 years, and over the last 5 years - we have John Batey's [former DOE/BNL Lab Engineer] material on Connecticut-specific comparisons that lay that out - and was less expensive than natural gas last year - our pdf file on comparing prices laid that out and oil turned out even less expensive that even we showed for 2/3rds of the heating season after January's collapse for 2006/07.

No one who looks at more and one day or one week or one month switches fuels - especially when the overall record is not in natural gas' favor. Coupled with the conversion cost of $4,500 to $6,000 - switching makes no sense and the material from the Consumer Energy Council of America [CECA] reinforces that. No one who knows the BTU comparison cost of heating oil and propane switches from heating oil at $3.00 per gallon to propane which on a BTU-equivalent basis sells for $3.85 per gallon.

The wisest choice for every consumer - regardless of the fuel you use - is to make sure you have a professional, licensed energy conservation technician check your heating system to make sure it is operating at maximum efficiency - and then the home or business owner takes greater control of their own energy costs. I referred to "licensed energy conservation technician" because that is what they are - and our strongest element with consumers.

Our website is > http://icpa.org/ConsumerInfo.htm for people to use for more great information on energy savings.

Eugene A. Guilford, Jr.
Executive Director
Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association

Click here to go back to the main "Oil in the News Page"