While many modern homes have HVAC systems that are fueled by electric, gas, or even geothermal technology, my grandparents home is still heated by a coal burning furnace. This is somewhat of an outdated form of heat not to mention a very dirty form. They have coal delivered at the beginning of the season and must feed the furnace on a schedule to maintain the level of heat that they want. Winters can be long and they are both getting on in years. We constantly worry about them doing such laborious work just to keep the house warm. On my last visit I tried to convince them to upgrade the HVAC system to an oil burning furnace that would only require having a tank filled. It is run by electricity and they could actually have a thermostat to adjust to maintain the temperature.. It would still allow them a warm heat source without having to have natural gas lines run to the house. My grandfather never wanted to be that “connected” to the outside world and he seemed interested in the idea. The other factor that I brought up was the fact that the coal dust from the burner was not healthy for them and the house would be a bit cleaner with the new system. When I left, they promised to at least have an HVAC company come out and give them the options that would possibly work for them. I hope that they do as it would eliminate some of the worry that my family has over their wellbeing.