Written on: September 28, 2022
While heating fuel prices seem to be on a slow downward trend, many homeowners remain concerned about how much heating oil they will use this winter—and how much it will cost them in the long run.
While there are many variables that affect fuel usage—including outdoor temperatures, the quality of insulation in your home, the efficiency of your furnace or boiler and your family’s own heating preferences, there are general guidelines that can help you estimate how much heating oil you can expect to use.
Here is an example. If outdoor temperatures average about 32° over a 24-hour period, a typical 2,500-square-foot house will burn about six or seven gallons of heating oil per day.
So, if temperatures are right around the freezing mark and you have a quarter of a tank of oil left in your 275-gallon tank, you’ll have enough oil to last about a week. This is why you should call for your heating oil delivery when your tank gets no lower than one-quarter full, especially during cold weather.
Remember: it’s always better to be conservative and order your heating oil early rather than getting stuck in a no-heat emergency because your tank came up empty. The best way to avoid these risks and hassles altogether? Ask your heating oil supplier about automatic heating oil delivery service, which frees you from the task of always checking the fuel level in your oil storage tank because you’re worried about running out.
Even if you’re a long-time heating oil consumer, it never hurts to review the basics of reading the heating oil tank gauge, especially in preparation for winter. Here are three key points.
Why not take care of filling your oil tank now so you don’t have to be worry about it later—when everyone is asking for fill-ups? Contact your heating oil supplier today to request a delivery—or ask about the availability of automatic delivery for your heating oil.
Read more about heating oil storage tanks.