Residents in one Cambria County community were shocked to learn that converting to natural gas comes at a high price.
According to a recent article posted by the Altoona Mirror, a homeowner in Gallitzin stated at an open forum with gas utility officials that he found a delivery charge of $350 tacked on to his last bill.**
In Gallitzin, residents who recently switched to natural gas pay a delivery rate of $7.14 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas — more than twice as much as their neighbors in Cresson.
The gas utility officials explained that these delivery rates needed to be imposed to cover the cost of expanding natural gas service into the town.
Imagine what you would think if we started charging you extra money just to put fuel the in your tank!
Of course, this is only one example of the hidden costs of converting to natural gas, which can also include:
- up to $10,000 for a new natural gas boiler or furnace
- up to $2,000 for a new chimney liner
- up to $1,500 for oil tank removal
Add it all up and you could be on the hook for as much as $13,500 — before you even start paying for the gas. The local gas utility warned its customers that the Department of Energy is predicting that the average price of natural gas will increase 48% over the next two years.
If you need a new heating system, stay with oil heat. Upgrading to a high-efficiency oil heating system will cost a fraction of what a natural gas conversion would, and it will provide savings of 25% to 40% on annual heating costs.
**altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2017/03/complaints-heat-up-at-gallitzin-natural-gas-meeting/