Replace oil heating with heat pump or pellet heating? Alternatives?

In our house built in 1978, the oil heating system is defective; it still works, but no longer reliably. A replacement is therefore necessary. Question: What is a sensible alternative?

New oil heating. No ifs or buts, as it is the easiest to renew. Pellets damage the environment significantly because forests are being actively cut down due to demand for pellets – even though they work (but pellets will also approach the price level of oil/gas, they are already three times as expensive as in the same month last year).

BUT: You won’t have much fun with oil in the future either. It will be an expensive affair. So just consider whether it might make sense to invest money now instead of bit by bit over the next 20 years (which will probably be more expensive overall – not to mention the living comfort). In addition, unrenovated old buildings are increasingly becoming hard to sell. So it’s just burning money in existing properties.

Maybe you can get a used oil heating system from a renovation. Many have already thrown out the good oil heating systems, even if they were not that old yet.

Maybe you can get a used oil heating system from a renovation. Many have already thrown out the good oil heating systems, even if they weren't that old yet.

That is probably the cheapest option if a bigger investment is currently off the table. Pellets might not be a bad option, or also pellets as a hybrid with a heat pump. That way you could renovate/modernize step by step and then gradually reduce / get rid of the pellets. My sister replaced an oil heating system directly with an air-to-water heat pump in a building from around 1970. However, they have the advantage that they have 15 kWp (or even more) on their roofs. They exchanged the radiators as part of the heating modernization. Next, the roof is supposed to be insulated, and window replacement is planned as well as possible insulation of the building envelope. But that would be a bigger deal since it’s partly on a slope. They are already doing quite well with the heat pump. Of course, you can’t run a supply temperature like in a new building there, I think they are at 55-60 degrees. Still, they have already stopped burning the dead dinosaurs. That also has its advantages since we’re slowly running out of them. ;)

depending on the age of the parents and what is broken on the heating system, only a new oil heating system. a new burner doesn't cost the world, everything else is not worth it in the next 20 years. if at some point something regenerative is required, bio heating oil or a wood stove in the corner, done. unless you have way too much money and want to save the world

The first goal would actually be how to reduce consumption. Every heating system must be tailored to the house in order to be effective. There is no point in an expensive heating system if it is adapted to a building stock that may not last much longer. My suggestion: create a renovation roadmap, use second-hand parts where little money is wasted. These buildings will significantly decrease in value if no additional investment is made. Best regards, Gabriele

Considering the circumstances, I would also recommend using a used oil heating system. How big is the house? If it is not too large and your parents only live there as a couple, switching to split air conditioning units + domestic hot water heat pump could also be an option. That way, you don’t have the problem of the flow temperature in old radiators. Two outdoor units as a twin system are enough for 6-8 indoor units. Indoor units are now also available in picture frame form or as a chest unit with radiant heat component to hang them conventionally under the windows. This way, you can switch to a heat pump, achieve a SCOP/annual performance factor of over 4, and the investment costs should be lower than a classic air-to-water heat pump using radiators.