Commercial boilers: Oil or gas

Commercial boilers come in a variety of types: "D" Type Gas Water Tube Boilers, vertical steam boilers, solid fuel boilers, and many more. But increasingly, comparing the efficiency of the boiler's fuel is the most important factor in any decision.

What to opt for, oil or gas?

According to the Australian government's Greenhouse Office, the use of oil burners is not only on the decline domestically, but commercially as well. In fact, since 1974, when 15 percent of all commercial boilers used oil as their primary fuel, there has been a sharp drop in the use of oil for burners. By 2004, only an estimated 1 percent of commercial boilers were oil-based.

There are many reasons for this rapid decline. First and foremost, oil has gone through some major ebbs and flows throughout the decades, with the oil shocks of the 1970s and today's declining supplies certainly not helping. Additionally, the storage of oil is also problematic, as leaks can be environmentally damaging and costly. There are also strict limits on how much oil you can store at any one time.

Gas has other advantages besides its price tag. It can be stored in much bigger tanks than oil, and burns cleaner, with less CO2 emissions than oil. It can also be handy for those businesses that have another use for gas, such as cooking burners in kitchens. Essentially it means all of your fuel needs can be met by the one supply.

Energy efficient boilers

In terms of energy efficiency, there are always extra factors that you should consider when installing a boiler. For one, making sure that heat is not escaping from other parts of the building can save you big money in fuel costs. It's also worth mentioning that a boiler's efficiency is primarily associated with its load condition. The amount of fuel it takes to first heat a boiler depends on its capacity as well as the weather conditions. These all have a big impact on how much fuel it will be needed to heat the boiler.

As the price of oil fluctuates (but ever upward), there's little reason for many Australians to consider an oil-based boiler for their business.