When creating a pleasant working environment, temperature is everything because it can impact our efficiency. But if you are looking for the right heating options, one question can sometimes arise: Should businesses use heating oil? Heating oil may not necessarily enter people’s minds because it comes with several different components and might not be as environmentally friendly as other practices. But let’s show you some of the ups and downs so you can decide for yourself.
What Are the Advantages of Using Heating Oil?
When we talk about heating oil in the coldest weather conditions, heating oil provides reliable and consistent heat. The comfort of your employees is critical.
- Longevity is another component that makes it particularly advantageous. With proper maintenance, like commercial oil tank cleaning, these systems can last long, providing a reliable heat source.
- Another key advantage is the independence factor. Not being reliant on natural gas means you aren’t tapped into that infrastructure. If there are extreme weather events or pipes freeze during the winter, it’s much more likely that your business can continue.
- Additionally, the supply disruptions that can occur as a result don’t affect your business as much.
- Reduced costs are another key factor. There’s the energy-efficient component here which can translate to lower energy bills, but businesses can often negotiate contracts with heating oil companies. Being able to lock in prices means that you can avoid any severe spikes in energy costs, which have been commonplace in the last couple of years due to political factors.
- There is also the safety factor. Compared to natural gas, where there are risks of dangerous leaks because heating oil is non-toxic and non-explosive, it becomes a far safer option for everybody, including businesses.
What to Consider When Using Heating Oil
While modern oil-burning systems have plenty of benefits to offer, if you are looking at making the change, here are a few things to bear in mind:
- The price volatility. If you cannot lock in with a particular supplier, you may find yourself at the whim of fluctuating prices due to external factors like global oil markets. Companies need to be prepared for fluctuations in the price, and this can potentially be too much to deal with.
- The environmental impact can be another major bone of contention. Oil-burning systems are cleaner than their predecessors, but that being said, heating oil is still a fossil fuel that produces emissions. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture and determine whether you’re meeting your business’s environmental goals.
- In addition, you need to look at how you can store the heating oil. Regular inspections and maintenance are critical to ensure safety and prevent any oil leakage, and while you can hire help with this, businesses looking to cut costs somewhere may find regular in-house inspections could be too much.
When we’re talking about heating oil, there are a number of different factors to consider. What it boils down to is if you can meet your business goals with the right equipment, heating oil included.
