Plan your Heating Oil Needs for Fall & Winter

Plan your Heating Oil Needs for Fall & Winter

In Connecticut, temperatures often plunge to very cold levels. The good news is that you can rely on an oil heating system in winter to keep your home warm. You just have to verify that you always have sufficient fuel oil in your heating oil tank for consistently maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.

Home Heating Oil Costs

This can be a bit of a challenge given that fuel use tends to vary according to changes in outside temperatures. It also depends on the overall size of a home, heating system age your home’s insulation, heating preferences, and many other factors. So, how do you determine how much home heating oil you need during winter?

One way to calculate your heating oil requirements is by multiplying your rate of oil consumption with the period of use. For instance, oil-burning furnaces often use about 0.8 to 1.7 gallons of fuel each hour. This figure may be printed right on the nozzle, burner, or manufacturer’s plate. Think about the number of hours that your furnace is on each day. Keep in mind that the listed number will likely be for ideal conditions and for new units. As heating equipment ages, fuel consumption tends to rise due to increasing inefficiency.

Another strategy for estimating your fuel use in winter is to check out what your past consumption rates were. This helpful strategy works for anyone who has been living in their home for several years. Search for older heating bills to see how much fuel you have used during previous winter seasons. You can calculate the average fuel use to get a pretty accurate idea of how much fuel you’re likely to use this winter. You can perform additional calculations to determine daily, weekly, and monthly estimates for fuel use. Read the long-term weather forecast as you may find that lower than average temperatures during the forthcoming winter will make it necessary for your household to use more fuel than usual.

Contact us for more information about ordering oil for the winter of 22/23.