Homeowners
Plain-language cost guides for homeowners: repair versus replace, running costs by state, safety, and how to read an HVAC contractor’s quote.
-
How Much Heating Oil Does a House Use? 551 Gallons a Year, 402 This Winter (2026)
An oil-heated US house used 551 gallons a year on average in EIA’s 2020 survey, and EIA forecasts 402 gallons for winter 2026-27. Regional, state and daily figures,…
-
Solar Air Conditioner: How Many Panels It Takes, City by City, With Federal Data
EIA cooling kWh divided by NREL PVWatts solar yield, city by city: how many panels a solar air conditioner needs, hybrid DC mini splits vs rooftop solar, night-time…
-
HVAC Air Balancing: How to Fix Uneven Room Temperatures, and When You Cannot
HVAC air balancing sets dampers so each room gets its design airflow. The owner method, the professional flow hood method, and how to tell a balancing problem from…
-
Oil Heating System: How Oil Heat Works, the Efficiency Rules and the Fuel
How an oil burner fires, oil furnace vs oil boiler, the federal AFUE floors, heating oil vs kerosene vs diesel, and the New York and Connecticut bioheat laws,…
-
Natural Ventilation: How to Ventilate a Room, and When to Keep Windows Shut
Natural ventilation moves outdoor air through windows using wind and the stack effect. Here is how to set up cross ventilation, what US code requires, how to handle…
-
Dual Fuel Heating System: The Switchover Math, Worked State by State
A dual fuel heating system pairs a heat pump with a gas or propane furnace. The right switchover is set by prices, not 32°F: we work it out…
-
Steam Heating System Explained: One Pipe vs Two Pipe, Safety and Efficiency
How a steam heating system works, one pipe vs two pipe, the safety controls that matter, federal AFUE floors for steam boilers, where steam survives, and what converting…
-
Types of Home Heating Systems: Every Kind, How Common It Is and What It Costs to Run
Every main type of home heating system, ranked by how many US homes use it in EIA’s survey, with the federal efficiency minimum for each and what a…
-
Packaged Unit vs Split System: The Four Types and the Federal Rules That Differ
A packaged unit puts every component, often including a gas furnace or heat pump, in one outdoor cabinet. Federal floors match for air conditioners but are lower for…
-
Hydronic Heating System: How the Water Loop Works, and What Federal Data Shows
A hydronic heating system moves heat in water, not air. How the loop works, which heat sources and emitters fit, the water temperatures that matter, and how many…