Answer
Feb 24, 2022 - 02:22 PM
Great question!
First, it's important to note that fossil fuel heating systems still require electricity to operate — having a gas or oil boiler will not keep your heat on during a power outage.
The next point is to (re)consider how weatherized your home is, and if there are opportunities to address tightening up your home and therefore reducing the amount of heat you'll need to produce. Thirty gallons of oil in three months is not too much, and if you have areas of your home that are uninsulated or leaking air, perhaps you can reduce your heating load enough to not need a backup heating source. Have you gotten a Home Energy Assessment in the last two years? That would be your first step toward insulating and air sealing.
But let's say you've done all the weatherizing you could the first time you installed heat pumps, and you're still going to need a bit of a backup...
From a climate perspective, moving to an all-electric heating system (and eventually, all-electric house!) is the way to go. Adding new oil or gas infrastructure to your house locks you into using fossil fuels for the next 15+ years, as our electricity grid continues to get cleaner and cleaner. An all-electric heating system is also beneficial from a health perspective, as you've removed a source of combustion and therefore have cleaner indoor air. As you allude to, this could look like adding electric resistance to certain colder areas of your home and/or expanding your heat pump system.
Costs for the different approaches you outlined can vary, and you may want to get quotes on a few of the different strategies you outlined, and compare both the installation and operations costs. Make sure you're working with HVAC installers who are used to heat pumps and are sizing your backup heat just for supplemental or emergency use. Relatedly, since your primary heating is already electric, make sure you're signed up for Eversource's lower electric heating delivery rate!
First, it's important to note that fossil fuel heating systems still require electricity to operate — having a gas or oil boiler will not keep your heat on during a power outage.
The next point is to (re)consider how weatherized your home is, and if there are opportunities to address tightening up your home and therefore reducing the amount of heat you'll need to produce. Thirty gallons of oil in three months is not too much, and if you have areas of your home that are uninsulated or leaking air, perhaps you can reduce your heating load enough to not need a backup heating source. Have you gotten a Home Energy Assessment in the last two years? That would be your first step toward insulating and air sealing.
But let's say you've done all the weatherizing you could the first time you installed heat pumps, and you're still going to need a bit of a backup...
From a climate perspective, moving to an all-electric heating system (and eventually, all-electric house!) is the way to go. Adding new oil or gas infrastructure to your house locks you into using fossil fuels for the next 15+ years, as our electricity grid continues to get cleaner and cleaner. An all-electric heating system is also beneficial from a health perspective, as you've removed a source of combustion and therefore have cleaner indoor air. As you allude to, this could look like adding electric resistance to certain colder areas of your home and/or expanding your heat pump system.
Costs for the different approaches you outlined can vary, and you may want to get quotes on a few of the different strategies you outlined, and compare both the installation and operations costs. Make sure you're working with HVAC installers who are used to heat pumps and are sizing your backup heat just for supplemental or emergency use. Relatedly, since your primary heating is already electric, make sure you're signed up for Eversource's lower electric heating delivery rate!
