About eight years ago, my family moved from the south to the north.
I was offered a job opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.
It was a big adjustment for us. We were accustomed to intensive heat and humidity for the majority of the year. Our former home didn’t include a heating system. The air conditioner was the priority and electric bills were always a concern. We’d never seen snow before. I spent quite a bit of time researching different locations and properties for sale in the area near my new office building. I found the perfect house for my family. We were delighted with the huge yard, two-car garage, full basement, giant front porch and open floor plan. Since we had no experience with any type of heating system, I wasn’t overly concerned by the oil furnace. After living in the house for one winter, I knew the oil furnace needed to be replaced. The temperature in our new location drops down to twenty-five below zero. We rely on the heater for around six to eight months of the year. The oil furnace required a very large and ugly tank situated in our yard. I needed to schedule a fuel company to come fill the tank every fall. I then worried about running out of fuel and being stranded without heat during the middle of a blizzard. Plus, fuel heating is rather dirty and not all that energy efficient. I assumed that switching from oil to natural gas would be a huge, invasive and expensive project. I called a local HVAC contractor for a free estimate and was pleasantly surprised. A new gas furnace was a significant investment but definitely worth it. The heating system costs a lot less to operate. We were able to get rid of the tank, and I have the peace of mind of knowing we will never be left without heat.