Thanks thackney.
I plan to switch to natural gas, now that the choice has become available. Fuel oil heating costs this winter were over $600 a month for four straight months. Electricity costs have been rising steadily over the years, the water heater is a nice big old electric one, dropping that during the winter (and summer, for that matter) will offset the continued cost of running the blower (an unavoidable expense in the winter, regardless of the fuel, unless one lives in a one room cabin with space heater).
/ Envy