The high price of fuel

Burt Robertson, HVAC Marketing Manager

Driving around Liberty it seems like we turned back time as I pass our local gas stations and see prices in the $1.70s. Who would have thought we would see prices over $4.00 a gallon for gas and in less then six months it would be below $2.00? This could make you want to run out and buy a new gas guzzler 4 wheel drive. This attitude could be flawed, we all need to keep our focus on our ability do anything we can to become less dependent on oil. Not only with our cars and trucks but with our heating systems as well.

The fuel shortages and fuel oil hitting $5.00 this past fall had many jumping on the let’s burn wood and coal bandwagon. Do you think most people will still be burning wood after the novelty wears off and oil prices are low for now? I don’t think so. This is an opportunity to offer your customers the highest efficiency gas or oil burning products that they can afford such as the Viessmann or Biasi boilers (both European technology) which is far ahead of ours. The Biasi Boiler has been heating buildings throughout world for years. It has proven fuel efficiency and durability in countries where fuel can cost up to four times as much as in the U.S. Heat is quickly supplied for your heating zones and indirect water storage tank with the three pass boiler design and low water content. Combined with an electronic optimizing control like the Intellidyne heat manager you can achieve a fuel savings of up to 40% over conventional single pass boilers. The Biasi Boiler is very affordable. Offer your customer a product which will reduce their fuel usage at an affordable price.

Make a New Year’s resolution to never install a boiler with a tankless coil again. Why would anyone want to have a oil guzzling boiler maintaining temperature 24 hours a day 365 days a year when you can offer a fuel efficient cold start boiler and a indirect hot water heater? Many consumers don’t know the old boiler with the tankless coil wastes fuel and need to be educated about this.

Explain to the homeowners there are other products which can save them money. Energy efficient oil and gas boilers are not the only options. Heat pumps, both ground source geothermal and air to air, will give both heating and cooling. Wood and coal burning boilers and furnaces and add on helpers are available for those who want to commit to the extra work. Just because there is snow on your roof, don’t forget the solar thermal with its generous tax credits. Save your customers money by zoning both hot water or warm air systems so areas which no longer need to be heated can be shut down. So don’t let the current low price of fuel keep you from selling the most efficient heating system your customer can afford. Remember history likes to repeat itself, high priced fuel will be back!