Written on: October 25, 2021
When it comes to home heating and water heating, several states including New Jersey are pushing for what is known as electrification. That refers to using heat pumps to keep your house warm.
The aim of those pushing for, or wanting to force, converting homes to be all-electric is to cut our carbon emissions and assist in the prevention of climate change and other environmental problems.
It’s a terrible idea that is based on incorrect information, and it has resulted in some bad outcomes for homeowners.
If you are worried about the impact of this electrification movement on your home and family, let your representatives know.
Here’s more information about the major shortcomings of electrification and why heating oil like that delivered by Anyzek is a better choice for your home as well as the environment.
The expense of converting from an oil-fired heating system to a heat pump is the most significant initial expenditure. The overall cost of converting your home from an oil-fueled heating system to an electric heat pump ranges starts at $20,000 and can go much higher depending on the size of your home.
Those expenses likely also include having to upgrade your home’s electrical system. If you have an older home without central air conditioning, which is true of many homes here in southern New Jersey, it likely does not have the electrical capacity for a heat pump.
Heat pumps may function adequately in the southern United States for home heating, but they are not capable of coping with the demands of a northeast winter. Heat pumps require air from the outside to work. Heating efficiency is reduced as temperatures drop.
Most homeowners who switch to electric heat pumps kept their previous heating system as a backup because the heat pump was ineffective at keeping their houses warm. They now must pay for both energy and maintenance of two separate heating systems!
Much of the push for electrification in home heating, as we previously mentioned, is motivated by the false belief that it will be better for the environment.
First, it relies on the old stereotype of oil heating being “dirty.” The heating oil used today is dramatically different than the heating oil of just a generation ago. Thanks to almost eliminating the sulfur in heating oil, greenhouse gas emissions have been dramatically reduced. As biofuels continue to be introduced to heating oil in the coming years, it will become even cleaner!
More than 60% of the electricity used in the United States is generated by coal-fired or natural gas-fired power plants. The production of electricity generates more than one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions nationwide each year.
Make sure your representatives know your concerns about the push for electrification and its costly impact on you and your neighbors. Click here to learn more and get involved.
