As it seems that oil prices are increasing across the board, households are increasingly seeking methods to minimize their heating bills. Learn some expert insights on how to extend the lifespan of your heating oil and implement strategies for cost efficiency.
How Long Should Heating Oil Last?
“Lasting” in terms of being viable and useful is fairly simple. Heating oil will generally last between 18 and 24 months before it deteriorates. So even a tank of heating oil bought at the end of the winter should last just fine until autumn. However, moisture can cause your fuel to break down if too much gets into the tank.
As far as how long a full tank of oil will last in your home, there’s a wide range of factors to consider. Some of these factors include:
- Home size.
- Oil tank size.
- Home insulation quality.
- How cold the winter is.
- How warm you want your living space to be.
- Type of oil used.
The online resource Inspectapedia includes instructions on how you can make a ballpark guess of your average oil usage by looking at the number of minutes per hour your oil burner is running and using their calculations.
Why Is My Heating Oil Running Out So Fast?
There are a number of factors that can cause your system to burn oil at an accelerated rate, most of them involving issues with the burner itself.
- Dirty burners – Dirty burners burn neither cleanly nor efficiently, causing increased oil use.
- Thermostat issues – If your thermostat is malfunctioning or set to the wrong temperature it can make you burn through oil faster than usual.
- Yellow flames – Yellow flames indicate that your burner is not working properly, and even more importantly can indicate that the furnace is producing potentially dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide. (You should contact a repair technician immediately, as this can be deadly.)
How Can I Save on Heating Oil Costs?
While not everything is in your control – like how cold a winter will be – there are several things you can do to keep your oil costs reasonable:
- Insulation – Proper insulation keeps the heat inside your home, reducing your oil usage. Numbers provided by Energy Saving Trust, indicate a variance in heat loss of 33% between insulated and uninsulated homes.
- Programmable Thermostat – Both programmable thermostats and Smart thermostats regulate your heat, among other things reducing it when the home is unoccupied.
- Maintenance and Upkeep – Have your system inspected and serviced regularly to ensure that it is operating at peak efficiency. Our parent company, Tragar Home Services, has a 65-year record of providing such services with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Express C.O.D, Dependable COD Oil Delivery That Won’t Break the Bank
Express C.O.D provides superior discounted oil-on-demand delivery, with reasonably priced plans available for both regular heating oil and our green option, BioHeat®. At Express C.O.D, we pride ourselves on our 24/7 availability, rapid delivery, and top-notch customer service. Contact us today to see the Express C.O.D difference!