The Energy Embargoes made us acutely aware of oil availability
and price. Oil consumption for home heating has been on a steady decline ever
since then. Many industrial firms converted their equipment to be able to switch
to natural gas, using oil only during the winter peak heating season, or when
its price was lower than natural gas. And, many home owners also converted
their homes from oil as soon as the moratorium on natural gas extensions was
lifted in the late 1980s. In addition, the recent EPA concerns over leaking
underground oil tanks have created even greater incentives for homeowners to
switch from home heating oil to another source.
