Having enough heating oil in your tank is essential, especially during the cold season. After all, it is what helps in keeping your home warm and comfortable. You need to know how much heating oil you use in a day so that you can determine if you have sufficient heating oil to last you through winter. Many customers often ask the question, “How much heating oil will I use a day?” Read on to find out the answer to this common query.
Factors That Affect Heating Oil Usage
- Factors That Affect Heating Oil Usage
- 1. The Home’s Size And Design
- 2. Ambient Temperature
- 3. Oil Furnace Condition
- Heating Oil Consumption Based On Temperature
- Estimate Your Heating Oil Requirements Based On Historical Statistics
- Average Heating Oil Usage Based On Square Footage
- Heating Oil For Water Heaters
- Final Word
- Contact The BHHC To Connect With A Local Oil Dealer
Some of the factors that impact your home’s oil usage are:
1. The Home’s Size And Design
The heating oil quantity that your home needs are reliant on its design and size. Smaller homes need less heat than larger ones. Homes that are larger in terms of square feet consume more fuel oil even with the same ambient temperature.
The home’s design is also essential because the heating requirements are also reliant on it. The interior’s overall volume, wall thickness, and insulation quality affect how much oil your home consumes.
2. Ambient Temperature
The temperature of your home’s immediate surroundings also affects oil consumption. Colder temperatures can lead to a significant increase in the daily consumption of your heating oil. For example, a 15 degrees Fahrenheit temperature drop can lead to doubling your fuel consumption.
3. Oil Furnace Condition
Furnaces should be clean and maintained properly and regularly. This way, it can operate at optimal efficiency at all times. Ensure that it receives annual tune-ups every fall. This way, the oil consumption is reduced.
Heating Oil Consumption Based On Temperature
The standard capacity of oil tanks is 275 gallons. On average, a home uses two gallons of oil a day when the local temperature runs at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A full tank will last for approximately 137.5 days or four and a half months. Therefore, a full tank should last you the entire winter.
However, temperature fluctuations can happen. Temperature drops mean higher oil consumption. For instance, a 40-degree Fahrenheit day needs 3.7 gallons of heating oil. If this temperature remains throughout the season, a full tank will only last for 74 days. Some days, the temperature can drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. During these days, your home will use up to 7 gallons of oil per day. As a result, a full tank will only last 39 days.
Remember that temperatures during the cold season typically fluctuate between 20 and 40 degrees, averaging at 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, you are likely to use around 5.3 gallons of heating oil per day. This means that a full tank will last for 52 days or around one month and three weeks. A tank with a 275-gallon capacity can usually support the average household. If your oil tank is smaller, estimate your fuel consumption needs so you can determine when your tank’s next refill will be.
Estimate Your Heating Oil Requirements Based On Historical Statistics
Use your past heating bills to calculate your average heating oil consumption. Remember that you can only do this if you’ve stayed in the same home for a few years now. Take a look at your annual fuel consumption records. This will allow you to determine the daily, monthly, and yearly values for heating oil consumption.
If you recently moved, check the neighborhood for similarly-sized houses. You can ask your neighbors about their heating oil consumption to gauge how much oil you’ll need in a day. Another option is to consult the local heating oil supply company and ask for an estimate.
Average Heating Oil Usage Based On Square Footage
The home’s size impacts the average heating oil consumption. The average American home is sized at 2,687 square feet. However, your home might be larger or smaller than this. Every 1,000 square feet of space needs the estimates as written below in comparison to the average outdoor temperature:
- 3.27 gallons for 10 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2.67 gallons for 20 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2.07 gallons for 30 degrees Fahrenheit
- 1.47 gallons for 40 degrees Fahrenheit
- 0.87 gallons for 50 degrees Fahrenheit
A home that has a total floor area of 3,500 square feet needs 3.5 times the average requirements. This means that you require 5.15 gallons of heating oil on a typical 40-degree day.
Heating Oil For Water Heaters
Water heaters typically utilize natural gas, electricity, propane, and heating oil. If your water heater uses heating oil to heat your home and water supply, an adjustment in your calculation is needed. Water heaters usually use around 0.5 to 1 gallon of heating oil a day. This estimate is dependent on your home’s size and how many occupants live in your home.
Final Word
How much heating oil your home needs daily can be determined using the temperature, the size and design of your home, and historical statistics. If you are new to the neighborhood, contact the nearest heating oil provider for an educated estimate.
Contact The BHHC To Connect With A Local Oil Dealer
The Better Home Heat Council (BHHC) is a local association that aims to help homeowners with everything that has to do with fuel oil heat. We provide you with knowledge, especially on things regarding the economic and efficient use of heating oil. Also, we assist people in identifying and solving issues about energy efficiency in their homes or office. We accomplish this by pushing them towards an effective and affordable path to ensure that their living areas become more efficient and cost-effective.
The BHHC also supports heating oil delivery service companies that offer services, products, and solutions to homeowners in the Lehigh Valley. If you are searching for a superior home heating oil delivery service near you, click here. Rest assured that most of the fuel oil delivery service companies in our system also provide free energy consultations.