Any Home Heating Experts?

[raymr]

After last year's budget busting oil bill for my 44 year old hot water boiler, it's time for an upgrade. House is 2150 sqft. DHW is supplied by an electric tank. We also have gas service to the house.

Before this year, oil and gas were fairly equal cost-wise. Now with oil at 4.00+/gal., oil costs almost twice as much as gas per 100,000 BTUs. But will gas eventually catch up with oil?

My options are:
87% efficiency oil boiler
83% efficiency gas boiler
95% efficiency condensing gas boiler (with some venting issues)

If I go with the 83% efficiency gas, I need to line the chimney, and with either gas system, the oil tank in the basement with $700 worth of oil in it will have to be removed at some cost. I hate these kinds of decisions.