We hear this question a lot. The answer really depends on a few things such as the size of your tank, how large your home is and what temperature you keep inside. On average, a typical home will consume about 800 gallons of oil this winter. That number can be quite a bit more if you happen to live in way northern Maine or quite a bit less if you live in Virginia.
If you are new to the home, we always recommend asking the previous owner (or the landlord) for last years consumption. You’d be surprised how many people actually have this information. While it isn’t always safe to assume that you will consume at the same rate, it will serve as a basic guide. Most people will order 5 times per year, most of this occurring in the winter months.
Most tanks are around 250-275 gallons. A typical 3 or 4 bedroom home in New England, say 1500-2000 square feet will go through 3+ tanks per year. It is important to not let the tank run dry. When this situation occurs, you will have to “prime” the system which typically costs $50 plus and also usually happens on the coldest day of the year.
Here are some other factors that can influence your consumption:
AFUE (Annual Fuel Use Efficiency): So this is really just a fancy way of saying how efficient your heating system is. The older ones…”snowmen” as some experts call them can have AFUE’s as low as 50%. That means 50% of the heat generated is not being sent into the house. It is literally going up the chimney.
Age of Your House: This has more to do with how well insulated your home is not so much it’s actual age. In general, older homes tend to be less insulated, leaker and cost more to operate. That said, I’ve seen plenty of homes in my career that have been more than sufficiently upgraded. Have you had a No Cost Energy Assessment from Mass Save? If not, we highly recommend you do.
Your Lifestyle: It may seem obvious but the more you are in the home, the higher your use will be. Believe us, not everyone gets this. Additionally the amount of people in your home can have a direct correlation to your fuel bills too. If you go to work all day and nobody is home...except for the poor dog...you will likely save money over your neighbor who has two young kids that stay at home all day. Nothing kills your fuel savings like young kids! Good thing they are cute.
At the end of the day, it is important to realize that you will likely go through 90% of your heating oil consumption during the winter months. Find a way to budget this or some companies offer monthly billing as well. Slick will always be there to get you the best deal...are you ready yet?
