Oil Heat Questions and How to save Money on Heating

The best thing to have is ceiling fans, which will circulate the air that rises. Also, check and see if your local utility company offers an "energy audit." They will send out a technician who will go through your entire house and tell you what you can do to save energy. It's really a great thing.

If your does not have insulation on the ceiling (under the main floor) talk to your landlord about having it insulated. Often your utility company will offer a rebate on your electricity for getting it insulated. Same goes for the attic. It's worth it to keep your heat or AC inside the living spaces.

We have a similar sized house.

Filling the tank costs ***about*** 1k (ranges between 800 & 1300 depending on the price per gallon). We have to pay 40% of our bill each month.

So 40% of 1000 = $400 in Sept
40% of 600 = $240 Oct
40% of 360 = $144 Nov
40% of 216 = $86 Dec
TANK REFILL OF 1000
40% of ....

Now... that's J. 'theory'. In actuality, we never pay less than $200 a month so that we can stay caught up/ it's not so painful whenever the tank gets refilled.

We usually have to refill twice in the winter, and then the second tank lasts all spring/summer and we get a refill in the fall.

We've found it MUCH less expensive to avoid space heaters (saves us about $100 per month, but only gives us an extra few weeks to month's worth of oil... so we're saving $300-$400 by not using them). The oil heats up the whole house very, very quickly. (From 50-75 in about 20 minutes). Keeping things an ambient of about 70 DAY AND NIGHT (there or not) saves us the most. We've tried turning the heat down/off at night... keeping it consistantly hotter, and keeping it colder. About 70 24/7 means our furnace clicks on 4-5 times a day (24 hour period) for 2-3 minutes each time. 10-15 minutes of burn time per day. Turning the heat down at night, the furnace will blow for about 20 minutes in the morning, and then another 4-5 times a day for 2-3 minutes. Meaning 30-35 minutes of burn a day. Ditto, keeping the heat higher increases the burn frequency, using up more oil.

Whenever I cook, I leave the oven open when I'm done (so it heats the house instead of dissipating up the vents), and I keep the fans off as much as possible (kitchen and bathroom)

I ALSO keep an eye on oil prices. Even if we only have 50-100 gallons of free space in the tank... if oil prices drop I schedule a delivery.

I'd FAR rather pay $2.16 per gallon than $4.27. Keeping the tank filled with the lowest price possible is common sense.

ALSO Change your air filters at least every 6mo. (to improve efficiency) If I have a dirty air filter, that 2-3 minute burn turns into a 5-6 minute burn. AKA I'm eating twice as much oil. It is the CHEAPEST thing to do to increase efficiency. ($20). If you're strapped and can't afford $20... take the durn thing upstairs and hose it off and let it dry.

I grew up with oil heat and my mother still lives in that house.
J. like any other heat, get a programmable thermostat so it can be cooler when you're not there and at night.
Insulate and seal window and door edges.
The only thing is that when my mom gets her tank filled it's C.O.D. and it can be about $1000....but that lasts for most of the winter and her house is bigger than 1000 SF.
You probably need to find a fuel company--or does your landlord handle that?

I am going to go on the assumption that it is not a walk out? A basement, because it is underground, tends to be between 60 to 65 degrees year round. It doesn't take much to heat or air condition them. We don't heat ours and it is a little cool but not uncomfortable. We have vents down there but keep them shut off.

I live in a 1,000 sq. ft. mobile home and everyone knows that they didnt insulate them as well back in the early 90s. I got a $275 gallon tank and last winter went thru a tank and 1/2. I get the plastic for the windows to keep drafts out place have heavy curtains on them. I usually block the register in my bedroom, bathroom and 1 in the living room since one is usually under either a couch or entertainment stand. Plus generates more heat to my childrens rooms. My thermostat is set at 69 degrees and I also run a small electric heater in my living room then at night gets put in my room.

I keep blankets on my couch to snuggle with, always have candles lit and cook in my oven as much as possible to generate what heat I can to keep the furnace from running. I used to drop the thermostat to go lower when at night or when I wasnt home but it seems to go thru it quicker that way. Its burning J. as much fuel to get back up to that temp as it would running at night at that temp.

Also if you order a full tank refill alot of companies will give you a discount in the price and alot wont deliver less than 100 gallons. I try to fill up in the summer as the oil prices are usually cheaper. Some places will also allow you to set up a payment plan that will start in June and run till February and they will lock you in on the lowest rate. I dont settle with one company and pay everything out of pocket since some will range in a difference of as much as 25 cents.

You'll want to use insulation around the around inside and doors too. You can use clear caulk around the window casings. Get foam pads made to go behind all of the electrical outlets and light switches for drafts between the walls. Get tight childproof outlet covers to plug in all the outlets for drafts as well. Use expanding foam to go around all the pipes under the sinks to seal those and you can trim off any excess. Be careful choosing space heaters. The big ones say they will knock the cost of heating your home and they end up costing more than using a regular heater. A small energy efficient space heater where you're sitting is fine, and a tiny one for your bedroom is fine too. You can turn the heat down when you're sleeping and use a tiny space heater at night as needed. Turn down the heat while you're away too. Shut all doors to rooms you're not using. Keeps things warmer with less drafts. Smaller spaces to heat. Go to Lowe's and Home Depot for more tips on weatherizing your home. Dress warm! Get some cute winter jammies that are warm and toasty, and slippers too.

K. b
mom to 5 including triplets