Written on: November 22, 2021
Knowing exactly how much heating oil you’ll use this winter would be great so you can plan your spending.
But while we can help you get an idea of how much heating oil you will likely use, there is no way to get a precise calculation. There are too many variables, such as the size and age of your home, the weather, the age and condition of your heating system, how well your home is insulated, and what temperature you set on your thermostat.
That’s one reason we recommend our Automatic Delivery. We use your prior heating oil usage and current temperature to accurately gauge when you’ll need more heating oil. We make the delivery, and you have peace of mind!
You can also choose among our heating oil pricing and payment options to take control of your hearting costs.
The information in the table below are averages for a home in towns such as Darien, Bethany, or Trumbull that are between 2,000 and 2,500 square feet.
| Outside temperature | Gallons used per day |
|---|---|
| 15°F | 7.8 |
| 20°F | 7.0 |
| 25°F | 6.2 |
| 30°F | 5.3 |
| 35°F | 4.5 |
| 40°F | 3.7 |
| 45°F | 2.8 |
| 50°F | 2.0 |
Here are some other ways you can get a good estimate of your heating oil usage.
Check the manufacturer’s plate on your burner or burner nozzle. There should be a number on it. That number is the approximate capacity specifications for your burner in gallons per hour.
Keep an eye on your burner. A burner’s average usage is between 0.8 and 1.7 gallons per hour. Keep track of how often your burner is used and how much oil is consumed in a typical day. This information is crucial because some models consume more or less heating oil than the normal range suggests.
Check your prior usage. Look at your past heating oil bills to determine what your usage was in previous years. To ensure that you account for colder or warmer winters, obtain five to six years of heating oil gallons and add them. Then divide them by the number of years you’re using. That will give you an approximation of your average winter heating oil usage.
Factor in the weather. Check out a reputable weather-tracking website to see how long the heating season in Fairfield County is. A heating season is when the temperatures drop below 65 degrees and how long they remain there. Take into account seasonal trends like El Niño or La Niña.
While you may not know exactly how much heating oil you use this winter, you’ll use more than you should if you don’t get an annual tune-up of your furnace or boiler. It’s not too late to get your heating system tuned up. Contact Santa Energy today to schedule a tune-up, and also ask about our affordable service plans.