Ensuring that you have sufficient fuel in your heating oil tank is very important, especially during the colder months. It’s also best to know how much heating oil you’re using in a day to determine if you’ll have enough fuel to last all winter.
Most of our clients ask us one common question: “How much heating oil will I use a day?” And honestly, there’s really no exact answer here.
In this article, we’re going to address this question further by looking at the factors that may affect your heating oil usage.
Factors That Affect Heating Oil Usage
1. The Size and Design Of Your Home
The first most common factor that affects how much heating oil you use is the size and design of your home.
Naturally, larger homes would require more heating than smaller homes. Even if these two homes are in the same area with the same ambient temperature, a home with larger square footage will generally require more heat.
But aside from the square footage, the overall volume of your interior space can affect how much heating your home will need. This refers to the thickness of your walls and your home’s insulation quality.
2. Ambient Temperature
The ambient temperature, as we mentioned above, also has a significant effect on your fuel consumption.
If there are two homes of the same size, where one is in a colder area and the other is in a warmer area, the house located in the colder will have to use more heating fuel to heat their home compared to the one in the warmer area.
Even if the temperature drops by just 15 °F, your oil consumption will also potentially double.
3. Condition Of The Oil Heating System
Lastly, you also need to consider the condition of your oil furnace or boiler. Generally, the more efficient your heating system is, the less oil it will consume.
You need to make sure to keep your oil heater clean and well-maintained for it to function efficiently. Have it serviced at least once a year, especially before the fall, to ensure that it’s working well for the winter season.
Heating Oil Consumption Based On Temperature
Now let’s talk about the heating oil consumption based on the temperature.
A standard oil tank has an average capacity of 275 gallons, and if the local temperature is at 50 °F, your home will use around 2 gallons of oil in just a day. With these numbers, it’s estimated that a full tank can last for about 137.5 days or four and a half months.
In other words, at a local temperature of 50 °F, one full tank is probably all that you’ll need until the winter months are over.
However, we all know that winter temperatures will always fluctuate, which means that you can’t just depend on one full tank. If the temperature drops even further, you might need to use more heating oil.
Let’s say, one day, the temperature drops to 40 °F. For this typical day, you would need around 3.7 gallons of heating oil. If it stays at that consistently, your one full tank can last for 74 days or two and a half months.
If the temperature drops further at 20 °F, you will have to use around 7 gallons of heating oil in a day. With these numbers, your full tank will only last for 39 days or just over a month.
During the winter season, even with temperature fluctuations, you can expect the outdoor temperature to be at an average of 30 °F. Hence, on average, you might need to use around 5.3 gallons of heating fuel a day, which means your one full tank can last on an average of 52 days or one month and three weeks.
In other words, if you’re using a 275-gallon tank, that would likely be sufficient to support an average home. But if you’re using a smaller tank, you need to estimate your fuel consumption based on the numbers above to help you determine when you should get your next refill.
Estimate Your Heating Oil Requirements Based On Historical Statistics
You can also estimate your heating oil requirements based on its historical statistics. How is this so?
If you’ve been living in your home for years already, you’ll be able to calculate your average fuel consumption by looking at your past heating bills. So, make sure to keep a record of your yearly fuel consumption, as you can use that information to determine your annual, monthly, and daily heating oil consumption.
However, if you’re new to the neighborhood, this may not be possible.
What you can do, though, is check if there are homes that are just about the same size as yours. Try to ask your neighbors about their heating oil usage to help determine how much heating oil you’ll need in a day.
At the same time, you can contact the nearest heating oil supply company, like Point Bay Fuel, to get an estimate.
Average Heating Oil Based On Square Footage
The size of your home will always have the biggest impact on your average oil consumption. So, try to estimate your heating oil consumption based on your home’s square footage.
Homes in the U.S. are around 2,687 square feet on average. However, there’s a high chance that your home is smaller or larger than that.
To determine how much heating oil you’d need, below is the estimated gallons of oil you’d need depending on the temperature outside:
- 10 degrees Fahrenheit: 3.27 gallons
- 20 degrees Fahrenheit: 2.67 gallons
- 30 degrees Fahrenheit: 2.07 gallons
- 40 degrees Fahrenheit: 1.47 gallons
- 50 degrees Fahrenheit: 0.87 gallons
The numbers above are calculated based on 1,000 square feet of space. So, if you have a 3,500 square feet home, you’ll need to multiply the numbers above to 3.5.
For example, if the ambient temperature is at 40 °F and your home is at 3,500 square feet, you would need around 5.15 gallons of heating oil.
Heating Oil For Water Heaters
If you’re also using heating oil to heat your water supply, you would also need to adjust your calculation.
On average, water heaters would require around 0.5 to 1.0 gallons per day, depending on your home’s size, how much warm water you use, and how many people use the shower daily. So, you’d have to add that to the amount of heating oil you use for your home heating.
Final Word
To determine how much heating oil you’ll use in a day, you can always look at the following factors:
- Temperature
- Size of your home
- Historical Statistics
However, if you’re new in the neighborhood, you would have to call a local heating oil provider to get an educated estimate as to how much heating fuel you’d need.
Call Point Bay Fuel For Superior Home Comfort Solutions
Point Bay Fuel offers superior heating oil deliveries and HVAC services in Ocean and Monmouth Counties, New Jersey. Our heating oil deliveries are fast, reliable, and affordable, and we always keep your safety in mind. We offer various heating oil delivery plans and financing options. This way, you can customize your fule deliveries to meet your needs. Likewise, we hire the best-certified HVAC technicians who can provide you with excellent HVAC tune-ups, repairs, installations, and replacements. Each of our techs has the knowledge and experience to service your HVAC system correctly.
Point Bay Fuel guarantees the most competitive home comfort service costs in the area. Our maintenance services can improve your comfort and energy efficiency while reducing your home HVAC costs. If you are interested in improving your indoor air quality, then look no further. Our experts know the most advanced solutions to achieve all of your home comfort needs. All of our services are backed with a guarantee to ensure your satisfaction. To schedule an appointment, give Point Bay Fuel a call today. We offer free, in-home estimates.
Contact us now by calling (732) 349-5059 to speak to one of our home comfort specialists!
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