Mazout compared to other types of heating

Anyone who wants to heat their home or workplace has a lot of options today. Different types of renewable energy are available, but pellets, natural gas, propane and electricity are also among the possible types of heating. We list some points of comparison.

Greenhouse gas emissions compared with mazout vs natural gas

Natural gas has a greener image than heating oil, because there are effectively fewer emissions at the end point of combustion than with heating oil. But of course, emissions at the end point are not the only thing to consider if we really want to compare objectively.

To make an objective assessment of the whole process, we looked at a study (see below) by the neutral research body RDC Environment. They conducted an independent study on the greenhouse gas impact of heating with natural gas and fuel oil back in 2004. They repeated this study in 2012 and then again in 2020, and in these studies they looked not only at emissions when combusted but at the entire life cycle. So here they looked from extraction over production and transport to use and final combustion. This is the only way to get a clear and complete picture to draw the right conclusions.

From the study comparing heating oil, we extract the 3 most important conclusions:

• Replacing fuel oil heating with natural gas heating is not going to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet Europe’s 2050 climate targets.
• In 2030, imports of Dutch natural gas will cease, requiring natural gas to come from even further afield (including Russia, United States, Middle East & Africa) resulting in incremental transport losses and higher transmission losses. According to the study, the climate impact of greenhouse gas emissions in the short term (20 years) will be 22% higher with natural gas heating than with fuel oil heating. (Figures by study firm RDC Environment based on life-cycle analysis and expected sources of supply).
• Replacing outdated boilers with new boilers is much more beneficial for the climate.

Modern boilers are perfectly compatible with renewable energy from a solar boiler or heat pump
Boilers consume up to 30% less energy and therefore also emit 30% less CO2.
They can easily be used for new, low-carbon and even carbon-neutral liquid fuels of the future.

Mazout: cheaper and more economical than electricity

If we put heating oil and electricity side by side, the financial advantage of heating oil immediately springs to mind. Electricity is by far the most expensive source of energy on the Belgian market: on average, you have to pay six times more for it than for heating oil. Moreover, the consumption of an electric heating system is significantly higher than that of traditional gas oil heating.

Renewable energy sources… with a plan B

Renewable energy generated by solar panels or a heat pump, for example, is obviously unbeatable in terms of environmental compatibility. However, you gain most if you combine this type of energy with a more traditional energy source such as heating oil. In a hybrid installation, heating oil serves as an energy buffer, completely eliminating the supply risk of renewable energy and significantly reducing the risk of overloading the electricity grid in winter and during peak hours.