Type | Possible Advantages | Possible Disadvantages |
Natural Gas |
- No fuel storage facilities needed
|
- Not available in all areas
- Venting required
|
Propane |
- Wide range of products available
|
- Storage facilities needed for fuel
- Venting required
|
Oil |
- Some older units can be upgraded by replacing the burner
|
- Space needed for a fuel storage tank
- Venting required
|
Wood |
- Renewable resource
- Can be cost-effective where low-cost wood is available
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Back-up heating
|
- Storage area needed for fuel
- Supplementary heating may be required
- Requires effort and knowledge
- Venting required
|
Electricity |
- No venting needed since there is no combustion
- Compact heating units
- No fuel storage facilities needed
|
- Likely requires 200-amp electrical service
|
Air Source Heat Pumps |
- Lower operating cost than electric resistance heat
- Also provides cooling
|
- Requires auxilliary heating source during coldest weather
- More expensive to purchase than central cooling
- Noise may disturb neighbours, depending on model and location
|
Earth Energy Systems (Ground Source Heat Pumps) |
- Most efficient system
- Low operating costs
- Can provide hot water
- Also provides cooling
|
- Typically, highest installed costs
- Supplementary heating usually needed for extreme temperatures
- Requires a suitable site for ground or waterloop
|