How Long Will My Heating Oil Last?

If you live in the southeastern Massachusetts area and use heating oil to heat your home, you are probably very familiar with using this heating oil all throughout the winter. And while your heating oil supply may be completely full, you may not know exactly how long this supply will last and how long you can plan on staying warm for throughout the cold months.

Heating Oil’s Longevity

On average, a house that is approximately 2,000 to 2,500 square feet uses anywhere from about five to eight gallons (and sometimes more) of heating oil a day during the winter if outside temperatures are at the freezing mark or just around the freezing mark. That comes out to about 700 to 900 gallons a season.

Typically, a home’s heating oil tank is 275 gallons. However, a 275-gallon tank does not hold 275 gallons of heating oil. There is actually only about 225 to 230 gallons of heating oil inside a tank of that size (some room has to be left for air and debris to collect within the tank). When that 275-gallon tank is full of about 230 gallons of heating oil, you can expect that tank to heat a 2,000 square foot house for about five weeks.

Of course, these are only estimates and averages. The constantly changing weather, your heating equipment’s age and how efficient your heating system is all impact the amount of heating oil that will actually be used.

Checking Your Heating Oil Supply

Having a general idea of how long your heating oil will last is helpful in terms of knowing when to place an order for a new supply. Here are some other things you can do to keep tabs on your heating oil supply:

• A heating oil tank should have a clear plastic cube on top and this cube should have numbers on it. There should also be a red marker or float, which indicates how much oil is left in the tank. Keep an eye on these markers and floats! If they are sitting at the bottom of the gauge or if you can’t see them at all, you are most likely out of heating oil or very close to being out.
• Contact your supplier for a heating oil delivery when your tank is about a quarter full. This will avoid you having to worry about running out of heating oil completely. A tank that is 25% full usually lasts most heating oil tank users about a week.
• If you are trying to track your heating oil supply, you will, of course, want to make sure the gauge on your tank is working correctly. To test the gauge, take off the outer cover and press the float down carefully. The float should bounce back up to its natural position. If it does, you know it’s working.

Let W.H. Riley Help Keep You Warm

With W.H. Riley as your heating oil supplier, you never have to worry about your home’s heating oil supply if you’re on our Automatic Delivery plan. We keep track of your fuel use, and when you need heating oil, we automatically come and fill your tank. And the best part is, we don’t charge you extra for this service. We deliver high quality, clean-burning heating oil at a fair price throughout southeastern Massachusetts. Because both of our locations in North Attleboro and Taunton house our own storage facilities, we can get you the heating oil you need when you need it.

To learn more about W.H. Riley’s heating oil deliveries as well as furnace and boiler heating system maintenance, contact us today!