Oil-to-Gas Conversion in Maine: What Homeowners Can Expect (Cost, Timeline, Rebates)

If you’re thinking about converting away from oil heat, the two questions we hear most are “what does this actually involve” and “how long is my house without heat during the switch.” Here’s a straight answer to both, plus what to know about cost and rebates before you decide.

What the Conversion Actually Involves

A conversion replaces your existing oil-fired boiler or furnace with a propane- or natural-gas-fired system. The scope typically includes:

• Removing the old oil equipment
• Installing the new gas-fired unit
• Running or extending gas piping to the mechanical room
• Setting an LP tank, if you’re switching to propane rather than utility natural gas
• Any venting changes the new equipment requires

We handle all of it — equipment, piping, and tank setup — with one crew, rather than you coordinating an HVAC contractor and a separate gas fitter. See our full Oil to Gas Conversion page for more detail.

How Long Does It Take?

A straightforward equipment swap — boiler for boiler, no major piping changes — runs similar to a standard high-efficiency boiler installation, which we typically complete in about 4 days from start to finish. A conversion that also requires running new gas piping a longer distance, or setting an LP tank from scratch, adds time on top of that base window. We’ll give you a specific timeline for your property once we’ve seen the mechanical room and the piping route.

What Does It Cost?

Honestly, there’s no single number that applies to every home — cost depends on the equipment you choose, whether utility natural gas already reaches your street or you need an LP tank, how far gas piping has to run, and what venting changes your new system requires. The only way to get a real number is a site visit, which is free — contact us and we’ll walk the property and give you an itemized quote.

What About Rebates?

Here’s the part worth knowing before you decide between propane/natural gas and a heat pump: Efficiency Maine’s current residential incentives are built around heat pump installations, not fossil-fuel equipment swaps — converting oil to propane or natural gas equipment isn’t itself rebate-eligible the way converting to a heat pump is. See our FAQ page for the current heat pump rebate tiers if that changes your calculus. That doesn’t mean a gas conversion is the wrong call for your home — plenty of properties in our service area don’t have the electrical capacity or budget for a full heat-pump changeover, and gas conversion still solves the oil-delivery and price-swing problem those customers are looking to escape. It’s just worth knowing going in.

Propane or Natural Gas?

It depends on what’s available at your address. Utility natural gas lines don’t reach every property in Maine and New Hampshire, particularly outside village centers, in which case propane (delivered and stored in an on-site tank) is the practical option. Where natural gas is available at the street, it’s often the lower-maintenance choice since there’s no tank to monitor or refill. We can tell you which is available at your address and price both out.

Why Homeowners Convert Away From Oil

The most common reasons we hear: wanting to get off oil delivery scheduling and price swings, wanting a system with fewer moving parts to maintain, and replacing an aging oil boiler at the point it needs major work anyway. Propane and natural gas equipment generally burns cleaner than oil, meaning less soot buildup in the heat exchanger and flue over time.

Not ready to convert, or want to stick with oil? We also install and service oil-fired boilers from a wide range of manufacturers — see our Oil Boiler FAQs page. Ready to talk through a conversion? Contact us, or call Maine at (207)-613-6886 or New Hampshire at (603)-662-2809.