winter Archives - FuelSnap

Heating Oil: How Much You’ll Burn in a Day

October 7, 2026September 2, 2026

Prime heating oil season is just around the corner! Which means high usage is becoming the elephant in the room! Our last winter was brutal. We had a total of two major snowstorms and 54 total inches of snowfall in Danbury! We also saw a surge in the price of heating oil because of the war with Iran. At the time of writing, heating oil is sitting at $4.09 a gallon, while gasoline is sitting around $3.55 a gallon. But you might be asking yourself how much you’ll burn on a day-to-day basis. This is an important question to ask yourself, and the answer is good to know as well!

The winter brings peak heating oil season and high usage! You’ll often be burning more oil than you would during the summer!

How much you’ll be burning is different than what your family or neighbor might be burning. But I’ll be sure to break all that down for you! However, if you did run out of oil, you’re going to want to run to the gas station to get about 5-10 gallons of diesel. If you’ve got an oil delivery coming soon, then you’re going to want something to hold you over until you get your delivery. If you ran out of oil, you’re going to want to check out this blog post here.

The Biggest Contributors to Your Heating Oil Usage

There are a lot of things that contribute to your heating oil usage. However, some play a bigger part in it than others do. Below, I’ve compiled a list of all the major contributors to your heating oil usage and consumption.

Temperature Outside: The biggest and most important factor for high usage is the temperature outside. The colder it is, the more heat your home is going to try to produce. For example, you’ll likely be burning more oil when it’s 25 degrees out, compared to when it’s 50 degrees out!
Temperature Inside: While it might not seem like it, your home’s internal temperature will affect your heating oil usage. Ideally, the most comfortable setting for your home is usually around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting the temperature higher, to say 80 degrees, puts more pressure on the system, causing it to try to produce more heat. This’ll ultimately result in more oil consumption.
Home Size: Your home’s size plays a crucial role in your daily consumption. The larger your home is, the more space that the system needs to heat. With more space, there is higher consumption. If your home is only a single-floor house, then it’ll burn much less oil than a home that’s two floors. The same can be said for a smaller home versus a larger home.
Good Insulation: If your home is well insulated, then you won’t have to worry too much about high usage! Your home’s insulation will determine how well it can maintain the heat your system produces. If your house is very well insulated, then you’ll likely have lower usage. But if your insulation isn’t up to date, then you might have higher usage. Your home’s insulation will determine how well you can keep heat in the home!
System Age: The age of your system definitely plays a role in its efficiency. If your system is newer, then it’s going to have good efficiency. Systems that are older than 30 years tend to be less efficient than newer systems. A brand new furnace tends to be well worth the money in the long-term.
What You Use Heating Oil For: What you use your heating oil for will affect how much oil you use. For example, if you’re using heating oil for just hot water and have propane or electric heat, then your usage will be significantly lower than someone who uses heating oil for both heat and hot water. Using heating oil for heat and hot water will, unfortunately, cause you to burn much more oil than if you’re using it for just one or the other.

Impact of Outside Temperature and Size of the Home

I briefly mentioned these above, but they’re so important for usage data that I figured I’d go a bit more in-depth. The size of your home and the temperature outside are probably the most important factors for consumption. The graph below gives you a combined average of usage based on square footage and outside temperatures. While yours might be different, you can get a general idea of how much oil you’ll be burning. But if the temperature is colder outside, you might see yourself burning a little bit more. The same can be said about having good insulation. If you’ve got good insulation, your home will burn much less oil.

During the winter in the Northeast, you’ll burn 5-7 gallons of oil on average. But this is just the average. This isn’t always the exact amount you’ll end up burning during the winter. Each winter is different and results in different usage data!

Now, let’s figure in the size of your tank. Most homes in the Northeast have a 275-gallon tank. Whether or not that’s a Granby or Roth tank, it’s going to be roughly the same. On all tanks, the top couple of inches are left open for airflow. So on both tanks, your true capacity is 250 gallons. If we calculate a full tank with an average usage of 7 gallons per day, that’s roughly 38 days before your tank goes empty! That’s a little bit over a month! This is why it’s so important to find out how much oil you’re burning daily! When your tank gets to about a quarter, you’re going to want to order a fill-up!

Annual Heating Oil Usage

A large majority of those in the Northeast will only use heating oil during the winter. During the summer, your system will most likely be turned off. However, if you use heating oil for hot water as well, then you’ll have some very minor usage during this time! But this only tends to equate to less than a gallon of oil per day.

However, as you probably know, wintertime sees a massive spike in usage. As mentioned previously, the home size and outside temperature will be the primary factors in this. While the outside temperature determines how high you turn your system up, the size of the home influences the amount of space your system tries to heat. During the winter, your system will absolutely be working harder than during the summer.

Tracking Your Consumption with a Smart Oil Gauge

To better understand how much you’re using and when you should order, a Smart Oil Gauge is the perfect way to do that! All you need is a stable WIFI connection for the gauge to connect to. Then, once you set the gauge up, you’ll be able to keep track of your usage through our app. The gauge also gives you the added benefit of telling you how many days until you reach 1/2 tank and 1/4 tank. The gauge then uses these statistics to tell you when and how much oil you should order. The app also offers FuelSnap integration. This integration will allow you to use your Smart Oil Gauge to calculate how much oil you need to order and by when!

Yearly usage on the Smart Oil Gauge app will tend to look like this. You can see that from September until May, heating oil is used pretty often! December and January, you’ll tend to see peak usage!

The Graph in the app will show you level readings and usage data for daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly periods! However, the app only displays data from the previous year. If you want to export data from a previous year, you must log on to the website and export the data to a Microsoft Excel sheet!

Your Monthly Usage

Depending on how big your house is and how cold it is outside, you might burn an average of 5-10 gallons of fuel daily during the winter. Now, while many factors can make this more or less, they tend to vary. Insulation is big on keeping homes warm. But some homes might have poor insulation, which will result in high usage! But with tools like the Smart Oil Gauge and even your float gauge, you can easily track your usage and schedule a delivery within minutes! Plus, it’ll give you a better understanding of your daily usage!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Frozen Pipes: What to Do

September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

Frozen Pipes can be detrimental to your home. If not taken care of, they can burst, causing thousands of dollars in property damage and flooding. Back in 2023, a friend of mine had a pipe burst in his home, and they were without a living room for a long time! However, to prevent this from happening to you, I’ve compiled a list of things to do if you suspect that you’ve got frozen pipes. However, you must act quickly! Left unchecked, frozen pipes can have devastating consequences.

Frozen pipes will sometimes look like this. However, this is an example when it’s bad!

How to Tell if Your Pipes are Frozen

The first warning sign of a frozen pipe is a decrease in water pressure. Water will typically shoot out of a faucet quickly. However, if the pipes are frozen, the water will start to drip or trickle out of the faucet. In the absolute worst-case scenario, no water will be coming out of the pipes, and the pipes will eventually burst. If you can locate the pipes, you might notice some frost, bulging, and/or strange sounds coming from the pipes. If you have one or all of these, then your pipes are frozen.

What To Do

If you have frozen pipes, the very first thing that you should do is turn on the faucets to a slight trickle. This will help the flow of water and prevent pressure from building up. Turning on the faucets gives a place for the melting ice or water in the pipes to escape from, so the pipes don’t build up pressure and eventually burst.

You can also try applying minor heat to the pipes. You can do this with a hair dryer, hot towels, or even a small heating pad! Doing this will help the ice in the pipes melt, which will give the melting ice a place to go!

But if none of the above work, you should locate the shut-off valve for your water system. When you do this, the water in your house will stop pumping and flowing into the house. This relieves stress on the pipes and prevents pressure buildup. This is especially important if the pipes start leaking, because that’ll help stop more detrimental damage from a pipe that’s on the verge of bursting.

What Happens if You Ignore the Frozen Pipes?

Frozen pipes should NEVER be ignored. Ignoring frozen pipes will eventually lead to a pipe bursting. After a pipe bursts, hundreds of gallons of water can get pushed into your home. This will result in thousands of dollars in property damage. You could be without a specific section of your home for a long period of time while you work on repairs.

In rare cases, burst pipes can go unnoticed during the winter. A pipe can suddenly burst in the spring or the summer if the pipe has been worn, eroded, or cracked. Cracking is common on frozen pipes because if the water is expanding in the pipes, this puts a lot of pressure on them. If enough pressure is put on the pipes, they will eventually crack and burst!

Burst pipes will look like this. You **DO NOT** want your frozen pipes to get to this point!

Contact a Plumber

If you’re unable to do any of this, don’t feel confident or want to play it safe, contact a plumber! Contacting a plumber is the best thing to do when it comes to frozen pipes. There are likely several local plumbers in your area who will be able to come take a look at your pipes and remedy them quickly!

The cost of the plumber will vary depending on their prices. However, the average is between $ 100 and $ 500. However, if your pipes have already burst, then the repair from the plumber could cost upwards of $1500 or more! Not to mention all the property damage that the burst pipe might’ve caused. I’d rather spend $500 on a plumber than $1500+ on repairs!

Conclusion

Frozen pipes are no laughing matter. They can cause serious damage to homes, resulting in flooding and property damage. However, if you contacted a plumber and they can’t come right away, turn on your faucets for a drip to hold you over until they come. But it’s much safer to turn off your water valve. This will be the most effective in preventing a burst pipe. But in a dire situation, this is the best way to handle frozen pipes! Stay vigilant, and you’ll be able to ensure that your pipes don’t burst!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

The Best Ways to Save on Heating Oil Costs

September 16, 2026August 26, 2026

Winter is slowly creeping up on us! Which means oil prices are going to go up as the weather gets colder and more people need heating oil! During the winter, heating oil prices tend to be at their most expensive. Winter also brings the need to order more frequently, which hurts your wallet! But you’re here to save on heating oil costs! So in today’s blog, I’ll make sure you’re prepared for what’s to come by giving you a list of things that you can do to save some money on heating oil!

Heating Oil trucks will come out and deliver frequently in the winter! However, make sure that you’ve got an order on the schedule first!

Canceling Your Automatic Delivery Plan: This might sound strange at first. But the reason for this actually makes complete sense! While it might not seem like it, Automatic Delivery is actually costing you more money in the long run! When it comes to automatic delivery, dealers will tend to charge more per gallon. On average, canceling your automatic delivery plan will save you roughly 50 cents per gallon! This can save you hundreds of dollars every year! Call-by delivery is much cheaper. You can go through the dealer directly, or you can order on our FuelSnap website!
Covering Up Drafty Windows and Doors: Drafty doors and windows are a primary cause of high energy use. These can be really bothersome when it comes to the amount of oil you burn. Drafts will let out the heat that your system is working so hard to create! Covering them up with draft stoppers or plastic wrap on windows will help prevent the hot air from leaving your home!
Fill Up Your Tank During the Summer: This is actually the ideal time to fill up your heating oil tank. During the summer, heating oil prices are at an all-time low. So be sure to take advantage of the low prices! You’ll be able to fill up your tank for much less than you would during the winter! However, you can keep an eye on your level and usage with a Smart Oil Gauge!
Avoid Ordering During the Holiday Season: You should avoid ordering oil during Christmas and New Year’s. The reason for this is that this is when oil is in the highest demand. Prices are high, and delivery availability is low. You should order and fill your tank before the Christmas season! Family gatherings and holiday parties are the number one reason for ordering during this time frame!
Make Sure Your Home Is Well Insulated: Ensuring your home is well insulated is crucial for being able to have a warm home during the summer. Insulation helps the house maintain the heat inside it. This’ll result in lower usage, as the house is better able to maintain the heat.
Getting a WIFI Thermostat: Wi-Fi thermostats are incredibly useful and are an amazing tool to be able to lower your heating oil usage. They’re incredibly useful and will help you be able to better manage your home’s temperature. Most of these thermostats have apps that allow you to control them. This means that you can lower the temperature when you’re away to prevent unnecessary oil usage or raise the heat wirelessly! With one of these, you’ll be able to control your heating oil usage!
Upgrade Your System: This might not apply to everyone, but if your system is old and hasn’t been updated, then it’s a good time to upgrade it! Making sure that your system is up to date is great because it’ll help ensure that your system is functioning properly! Plus, newer systems are more efficient! Which means that it takes less oil to heat the home! You can contact a local HVAC company and see what they recommend for a system upgrade!
When You’re Not Home, Turn Off Your Thermostat: Turning off the thermostat when you’re not home is a great way to lower heating oil costs. The reason being you won’t be burning unnecessary oil when nobody is home! However, if you have pets, then this won’t be an option for you! They’ve got to stay warm too!
Disable the Heat in Rooms that are Unoccupied or Empty: Turning off the heat in rooms that aren’t occupied or rooms that aren’t currently being used is a great way to save on heating oil costs! Make sure that when doing this, you close any vents or radiators in these rooms. Heat won’t be able to enter the room when this is done!
Set up and install a Smart Oil Gauge: Smart Oil Gauges are one of the best tools that you can have on your heating oil tank! They can track usage and level data to ensure that you won’t run out of oil! This is all at the touch of your fingertips through our mobile app! You can also receive alerts when the tank is low and when you get a fill-up! You can purchase one on our website here.

These are the two types of Smart Oil Gauge! The one on the left is the Duo, and the one on the right is the standard model. They both work great to track your heating oil usage and level information!

Concluding Thoughts

Heating oil can be expensive, especially during the winter! But if you follow these ten steps, you’ll become a master at getting the most out of your heating oil! You’ll know the ins and outs of how to prevent your oil from escaping through those drafty windows or burning more than you need to!

Ordering during the summer is especially useful with the lower prices! Canceling your automatic delivery plan is great, too, because it gives you the freedom to order from whoever and wherever you want!

But don’t forget, this is all up to you! If you like having your automatic delivery plan, then don’t cancel it. However, what you choose to do with your heating system is in your hands!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Heating Oil Vs Propane: What You Should Know

August 26, 2026July 23, 2026

In the Northeast United States, heating options are quite limited. However, natural gas is increasing in popularity. It’s cost-effective and reliable, making it an excellent choice to heat with! However, unlike the two titans of the industry, Heating Oil and Propane, it can’t be installed in a pre-existing home or neighborhood. This makes it unavailable to most of the general public.

But in small apartments, condos, and places with mild winters, you’ll see electric heat and heat pumps being more common. Electric heat can be expensive, but in places where winters are milder or with smaller spaces, it won’t be as bad. Otherwise, your options are left to Heating Oil and Propane.

Heating oil and Propane are the most popular forms of heating across the East Coast. They’re both fuels that get delivered to your home in a liquid state before it’s converted to heat and pushed throughout your home. Despite these two having some similarities, there are some differences. But what are they exactly? I’ll be covering exactly what you need to know below!

Outdoor heat pumps look like this! They’re increasing in popularity and are cost-effective!

Switching: When you Should Make it

When it comes to making the switch to either Heating Oil or Propane, it boils down to when your home needs a new boiler or furnace. The most expensive component tends to be the system. When changing out your current system for the other, here are some things that you’ll need to know.

Tank: The tank is the most important component of your system. Regardless of whether you own it or are renting it, you should know where it is and what its capacity is.
BTUs per Gallon and System Efficiency: Knowing the difference between the two fuels, BTUs and System Efficiency, is important for functionality. For example, propane tends to be more efficient. However, it produces fewer BTUs per gallon than heating oil.
Shopping Flexibility: If you like to be in control of when you receive your delivery, then this is important. You don’t want to run out while waiting for a delivery!

What are the Differences?

The biggest difference between the two types of tanks is the cost. Propane tanks are often much more expensive than heating oil tanks if you buy them outright. At the time of writing, you can buy a standard heating oil tank at Home Depot for around $1k, depending on the model. However, propane tanks tend to be a bit pricier at $1.5k for an average tank. While the prices are similar, a heating oil tank is the cheaper option.

How they’re stored is another major difference. Heating oil tanks can be placed indoors or outdoors. They also tend to be more compact, preventing them from taking up a lot of room. However, propane tanks tend to be big and bulky. Plus, if you’re renting them, then you’re required to have them installed above ground, outside. But if you own them, you can install them underground without posing a threat to the environment.

Propane tanks will tend to look like this. They’re installed above ground outside if they’re rented by an oil company.

The Owner of the Tank

Tank ownership is a big part of owning a heating oil or propane tank. When it comes to heating oil, you’ll typically own your tank. Meanwhile, with propane, the provider tends to own it. This means that they’re in control of when you get a delivery!

When making the switch from heating oil to propane, the provider will tell you that it’ll save you money, but that’s just not true! Renting the tank from the provider will prevent you from ordering from anyone else! You’ll have no freedom when it comes to ordering! In most states, it’s illegal to fill another provider’s tank. This means in an emergency situation, you won’t be able to order from someone else if you need to! If you want to change providers, you’ll either have to buy out your tank, buy your own, or contact another provider to put their tank in!

However, when it comes to heating oil, you’ll always own your tank! You can buy it directly from the manufacturer or a storefront such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. But you get the added benefit of having the freedom to order from whoever you want! So it’s best to own your tank regardless of whether you heat with heating oil or propane!

Standard oil tanks will look like this. Typically mounted on the side of the house, in the basement, or in the garage.

Which is More Efficient?

With how current prices are for heating oil, it might seem that propane is the better option to go with. However, just by looking at the price per gallon, you’re omitting two of the most important factors. These factors are BTUs (British Thermal Units) and Efficiency. BTUs determine how much heat is produced by a gallon of the desired fuel. For example, heating oil produces 138,000 BTUs per gallon! However, propane will only produce 91,000 BTUs per gallon. That is significantly less than what heating oil produces!

While BTUs are a major factor when it comes to heating, efficiency is important as well. Most modern-day boilers and furnaces tend to be 95% more efficient when compared to older furnaces. Propane furnaces will convert 95% of the propane into heat. Meanwhile, heating oil will only produce 85-90% heat from the boiler/furnace. Using 85% in our calculation below, we’ll get the following:

Propane: 91,000 x .85 = 77,350 Effective BTUs per gallon

Heating Oil: 117,300 x .85 = 117,300 BTUs per gallon

If we’re doing a comparison side by side, you’ll want to take a look at how many gallons of propane it takes to produce the same amount of heat as heating oil. This will be based on one gallon of heating oil. Heating oil produces 117, 300 effective BTUs per gallon, while propane only produces 77,350 effective BTUs per gallon. Using the following, you’ll be able to determine how many gallons of propane it takes to produce the same amount of BTUs as a gallon of heating oil.

117,300 / 77,350 =1.51 gallons of propane

As you can see, heating oil produces more BTUs per gallon than one gallon of propane! You’ll need a gallon and a half of propane to match the amount of heat that Heating Oil Produces!

Flexibility to Order From Who You Want

The nice thing about heating oil is that you have the freedom to order from whom and where you want to. Signing up for automatic delivery is a start. However, note that when you sign up for automatic delivery, you’ll end up paying a premium price per gallon. Call-by is much better in terms of placing orders. There are no hidden fees, and using reliable websites such as FuelSnap, you’ll end up getting some great prices!

Price shopping when it comes to propane is VERY hard. This is because most of the time, a propane tank is going to be rented from the provider. There’s a small percentage of propane tank owners who own their tanks. If you’re one of them, congratulations! But unfortunately, you won’t be able to do much shopping around.

However, with heating oil, the market is much more competitive. Due to this, prices tend to be a bit more sporadic than with propane. Dealers are constantly competing with each other to get customers on their schedule, so it’s advantageous to have the best price in the area. This gets them more orders and more new customers! Heating Oil tanks also get the bonus of utilizing the Smart Oil Gauge!

At the time of writing, these are the current oil prices in Danbury.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to which is better, heating oil is the clear answer. It burns much hotter, and you own your tank, which makes shopping around a breeze! Plus, with cheaper tanks and competitive pricing, you’ll be able to get a fill-up for a good price and not be restricted by the dealer!

However, that’s not to say that propane is without its merits. It’s versatile and is often used for more than just heating! If you find yourself needing to use propane for cooking, electric, and more, then this is your answer! Just be aware that you’ll likely have to rent from your provider!

At the end of the day, which you choose to use to heat with is up to you. They both have their positives and negatives and will both provide you with ample warmth and will be effective long-term heating solutions.

Happy Heating!

Hunter

Preparing Yourself for Heating Oil Season

August 5, 2026September 17, 2026

It’s officially August! Which means Heating Oil Season and Winter are just around the corner! Winter is peak season for heating oil, and now that it’s August, there’s a lot for you to do before winter is in full swing! Like every winter, you shouldn’t go in unprepared!

Fall and Winter are just around the corner! Which means soon your home will look like this!

Changing Out Your Air Filters

Forced air is an increasingly popular form of heating. If you use this, then now is the best time for you to change out your air filters. Ideally, these should be changed out every couple of months! However, if you have pets, then these should be changed out more frequently! But during the summer months, especially, they’ll get much dirtier. This is often due to collecting allergens, pet hair, dust, and dander! Changing out these filters is crucial to maintaining a healthy home, especially if you live with people who have allergies!

However, what’s the process for changing them? If you follow the steps below, you’ll understand exactly what you have to do to replace them!

The first thing you should do is turn off the furnace. This is crucial because your furnace might turn on if you’re changing out the filters! You don’t want that to happen!
Then, you’ll want to remove the side door to the furnace to access the filters. After doing this, snap a quick picture of how they’re installed currently. This will help you make sure the new ones are installed correctly after you’ve taken the old filters out!
Find out what size your filters are. If you haven’t done this before or are unsure as to what size filters you have, you’ll want to get this information. The most common size for these filters is 25x20x1. But if you don’t have any replacements, you can stop by the hardware store and pick up some.
Once you have the replacement filters, you’ll need to replace them! The replacements should have arrows showing how they’re installed. Follow those so you can install them properly!
You’re all set! Just close up the furnace door and turn it back on!

Changing out your filters is pretty easy! Just make sure you turn off your furnace when you do it!

Gathering Firewood

If you’ve got a fireplace or wood-burning stove at home, then you might know that you have to gather firewood. My family and I have a wood-burning stove, so typically we start to gather firewood around May-June. The earlier you gather it, the better, because it gives the wood time to try out before you burn it! But if you start stocking up now, then you’re still on the right track! Sometimes the cold weather doesn’t start until late September, early October anyway!

If you don’t have a lot of time to gather firewood on your own, then buying pre-cut wood is an option! However, it tends to be a little bit more expensive. You’ll be able to find them at places such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, and even some gas stations! But if you’re like my family and have been doing this for a while, you’ll have a log splitter! This speeds up the process of cutting up wood! Rather than relying on an axe. These machines streamline the process!

But if you have the time, gathering and splitting your own wood will save you so much money! Some woods, however, will tend to burn better than others. Oak, for example, is the most popular for burning. It’s not messy, and it takes some time to burn. However, pine is very sappy and can take a bit longer to dry out. Birch, on the other hand, burns quickly, and it doesn’t last very long. However, this makes it an excellent fire starter!

Stocking up on firewood is a great way to prepare your furnace and wood burning stove for the long winter ahead! This’ll also lower your heating oil usage if you have both!

Heating Oil Tank Inspection

As the years go by, your heating oil tank will get older. This often makes it susceptible to general aging over time. The tank itself will experience wear and tear as it gets older. For this reason, regular tank inspections are important for your tank. While this process doesn’t take a long time, it’s crucial for your system’s functionality and your safety.

In this section, I’ll be covering a brief explanation of what’s involved in a tank inspection. But if you want a more in-depth explanation, check out this article here.

Inspect the Legs to make sure that they’re sturdy. Also, make sure that there’s leaks in the tank.
Make sure there’s no rust on the seams of the tank.
Check the bottom and sides of the tank for any signs of leaking oil.
Make sure that the oil lines have no leaks.
Check the oil filter to ensure it’s not leaking.
Check the top of the tank and fittings for any damage, rust, or cracks.

These are the key points you’ll need to look at when getting a tank inspection!

System Tune-Up

Annual system maintenance is important for your heating oil system to function as intended. Making sure your system is properly maintained is a requirement to ensure that the system itself doesn’t shut down when you need it. If it’s been a while since your last system service, or you need one, contact your local HVAC technician. They’ll be able to do all the required service and maintenance to make sure that your system is in tip-top shape! But keep in mind the price. Usually, system maintenance will cost around $300-$400 on average.

However, when you contact your HVAC company, see if they offer a maintenance contract. These service/maintenance contracts will help you stay on top of your system’s maintenance. This’ll ensure that your system is in good shape for when you need it. Some HVAC companies will actually give you a discount when you sign up with them! It’s a good thing to ask!

Fill-Up Your Heating Oil Tank

Now that it’s getting to the end of summer, it’s a good time to fill your oil tank. Making sure that you have a full tank of oil will be very helpful when winter comes. Filling up your tank of heating oil will make sure your tank is ready to go when the temperatures start dropping! If you’re getting low now or are sitting at around half a tank, now’s a good time as any to order oil. It’s always a good idea to go into heating oil season with a full tank!

Your tank gauge is another important tool for you when it comes to monitoring heating oil usage and level. Most tanks come with a float gauge. However, the Smart Oil Gauge is another useful tool to track your data. You’ll have access to everything that you need at the touch of your fingers! You’ll even be able to order oil with our FuelSnap integration. FuelSnap lets you get the best selection of dealers and prices in your area!

Getting a fill-up now of all times is a great idea! This’ll make sure that you’re all ready for heating oil season!

Closing Thoughts

There are plenty of things that you need to do before heating oil season arrives. If you have the above-mentioned available to you, you’ll be fully prepared for the winter! Make sure you’re prepared when going into heating oil season and winter! You won’t want to be blind sided by a snowstorm or cold weather and not be prepared. If you’ve got a wood-burning stove or fireplace, stock up on firewood. If you’ve got a heating oil system, make sure that you get your tank filled and your system serviced!

As temperatures get lower and lower, we’re going to slowly start turning on our systems. Winter is around the corner, which means we’ll need to be warm for the cold months to come! Do not be un-prepared for what’s to come!

Happy Heating!

Hunter

How Long Will Five Gallons of Heating Oil Last?

April 24, 2023May 4, 2023

During the colder months, you’ll know how important heating oil is. It has a variety of different uses. But, the most common use is for heating your home. You will need to purchase heating oil. But this begs the question, “How long will 5 gallons of heating oil last me?”

If you are running low on oil, stopping at your nearby gas station and buying a few gallons of diesel is a good temporary alternative until you get your delivery. However, this should be done sparingly because diesel is not a permenant solution.

There are a lot of different variables that can determine the answer to that question. During the winter months, 5 gallons of heating oil might not even last you a day. While during the summer, 5 gallons of oil, could last you a few days. It’s still important to ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you do not run out of heating oil.

What do you use heating oil for?

What size house do you have?

Does your home have proper insulation?

Do you have any drafty areas of the house?

How warm do you like to keep your house?

What is the weather and temperature like outside?

What’s the condition of your boiler?

Home heating oil is delivered directly to a fill pipe on the side of a home.

Increasing Insulation

Insolation is a key factor in oil consumption. Insolation retains heat and keeps your house warm. Ensuring that your house has proper insolation, will help you get the most out of the heating oil you’ve purchased. With the correct amount of insolation, you’ll be able to maintain the heat that your boiler is producing for longer, reducing oil consumption.

Seal Up Drafty Windows to Reduce Oil Consumption

It might sound odd, but the types of windows that you have can affect your oil consumption. When your boiler burns oil, heat will spread throughout your house. As the heat spreads throughout the house, it will escape through the drafty windows. As a result, you will start to burn more oil. This can lead to higher-than-normal oil consumption which will quickly deplete the oil in your tank. However, if you have newer double-paned windows, the air becomes trapped between the two panes of glass. This is similar to insulation and will prevent the heat from escaping.

While that is a great solution, it isn’t cheap to replace windows. Using a thin plastic sheet, is a great way to seal up drafty windows. Apply the sheets to the window with double sided tame to make sure that they’re tight and secured. After the sheets are in place, go over it with a hairdryer to clean up any wrinkles. This will allow for another layer of insulation.

Heating oil consumption depends on outside temperature. A 2500 square foot home will use approximately 4-7 gallons per day on a typical winter day in New England.

Heating Your Home With Heating Oil

During the colder months of the year, where heating oil is most sought after, you will often be burning more oil than you would during the warmer months. This is because, as you are heating your house, the cold air outside is continuously drawing the heat outside through your walls. When this happens, your boiler will work harder to keep the house warm. This often results in an increased consumption of oil.

When heating up your home, your daily consumption will change depending on both the size of your home, as well as the outside temperature. During a warmer day during winter, you might at most use only around 2 gallons. While during the summer months, you might be even using less than half a gallon a day!

How Does Outside Temperature Affect My Heating Oil Usage?

In the state of Connecticut, the outside temperature can average anywhere from 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit. For the average sized home of 2000 square feet, the average consumption of oil is anywhere from 5-6 gallons of heating oil daily. Outside temperature is a huge contributor for increased oil consumption. It greatly impacts how much oil you are burning on a daily basis.

The typical house in CT will use about 880 gallons of heating oil per year.

Your graph will look different if you have an alternative form of heating. If you do, it is possible that you will be burning less oil and have a lower than the average home. But that begs the question, “How much oil am I burning in a year?”. Similar to the graph above, we have created a graph of estimated gallons burned per year in the state of Connecticut.

Program Your Thermostat to Reduce Oil Consumption

During the winter months, you’ve most likely heard your parents tell you, “Don’t touch the thermostat!”. The average home can get away with setting their thermostat to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This should be a decent temperature to remain comfortable in your home without needing to adjust the temperature of your thermostat.

You may be asking yourselves “Should I leave the heat on while I am not home?”. This could greatly effect the amount of oil you’re burning if you decide to do so. If you have a boiler with radiators in your house, then it can take some time for the temperature in the house to raise several degrees. By doing so, you might actually burn more oil at the end of the day, if you decide to keep your heat on when you aren’t home. However, your home might a have a furnace with air ducts scattered around the house. That is an example of “Forced Hot Air”. If you have any pets at home, you will likely want to keep the heat on, to keep them warm.

If you own a Smart Oil Gauge, you will be able to keep an eye on your hourly oil usage while you are not home. It is a fantastic tool that will help notify you if your usage is too high. This applies the same if you are home and just want to monitor your usage to see if you’re burning an excess amount of oil.

Maintaining a constant supply of heating oil means staying warm on cold winter days.

Is Your Boiler, Burner or Furnace Running in Top Shape?

A well insulated home won’t do you any good if your furnace isn’t running properly. It is very important that you have your system checked and adjusted to ensure that it is running as efficiently as it can. An average oil burner will last around 30 years, sometimes even more. As the years go by and the systems get older, you might end up using more oil than the previous year if not properly maintained. Even buying a new heating oil system can help decrease the amount of oil you are burning. However, we recommend getting your .

Every bit of information we have provided should provide you with a good idea of how long 5 gallons of heating oil will last you. But, the best way to see how long it will last you is to accurately measure it! The best way to do that is with the Smart Oil Gauge! The Smart Oil Gauge will send soundwaves down to the oil level that then bounce off of the oil’s surface and back up to the sensor! This ensures precise accuracy on what your oil level is sitting at, at the current moment! You’ll even be able to check oil consumption by day, week, month and year! In the photo below, you can see what the average usage will look like during the winter and during the summer!

A Smart Oil Gauge will allow you to closely monitor your heating oil consumption throughout the day.

The Smart Oil Gauge will be a worthwhile investment to keep track of how much oil you have and to ensure that you are getting the most out of your heating oil! It will also help to make sure that you will not run out of oil or get low on oil so that you won’t run out of oil! The gauge will also help you see the changes you’ve made using the tips described in this article.

Happy Heating,

Hunter