How Much Heating Oil Does a House Use per Year?

There’s No Cookie Cutter Answer, But Corse Can Help You Plan

With the costs of living generally on the rise, most customers are trying to budget for their winter expenses. As a general rule of thumb, a medium size home of between 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, should use between 800 and 1,200 gallons of heating oil per year, assuming the heating system is running properly. But there’s no crystal ball for winter weather, and every home is different.

Technically, the official first day of winter isn’t until late December, but the “heating season” here in northern Vermont starts much sooner—typically in early October, and it can run well into May. The earlier the heat goes on, and the longer it stays on, the more heating oil you will use. At the same time, high efficiency heating equipment in a well-sealed and well-insulated home will use a lot less fuel than an aging boiler or furnace in a drafty house, no matter how cold it gets.

Improving efficiency is a proven way to keep your fuel use down and your heating costs manageable.

Save Energy Without Shivering

Saving energy doesn’t mean turning down the thermostat and layering on the sweaters. While that’s one way to do it, you can stay cozy all season while keeping heating costs under control. Energy efficiency is all about making it easier for your furnace or boiler to do its job. The harder it has to work to warm your home, the more fuel it will burn. (That’s why good insulation improves efficiency.)

No-cost Efficiency Boosters

• Keep drapes and blinds open during the day to capture solar warmth, and close them at night to keep heat in.
• Reverse the direction of ceiling fans to keep heated air down where you can feel it.
• Use your smart thermostat or programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature based on your schedule. Setting it for a lower temperature night, when you’re under the covers, and when you’re out all day, can have a significant impact of heating costs.

Low-cost Efficiency Improvements

• A weekend of DIY projects, like sealing up drafts with caulking, weatherstripping and expanding foam, can help save you 20% or more on heating costs.
• Change the filter in your heating system. A dirty air filter can restrict air flow, making your heating equipment work harder to heat your home. That uses more fuel and increases bills.
• It’s never too late to schedule seasonal maintenance for your heating equipment. A tune-up keeps your heating equipment running smoothly, so it will use less fuel to keep your home warm. Our service technicians check for and fix problems that can decrease performance and efficiency, or that could lead to breakdowns, no-heat emergencies, and expensive repairs.

Investing in Upgrades

If it’s time to replace your heating equipment, investing in a high-efficiency heating system is an upgrade that can drastically cut energy costs over the long term, while improving your comfort for years—and improving the value of your home.

More Ways to Save

We also offer plenty of options to help you manage costs no matter what happens with prices or how cold it gets.

• Our Budget Pay plan spreads home heating oil costs over 12 months, so you can avoid bills that spike in the winter.
• We also offer a Pre Buy Plan that lets you lock in your price by buying your fuel for the year upfront. You take advantage of lower off-season pricing, and eliminate the worry about the price of fuel going up.

Our budget plan enrollment period is closed, but there’s still time to sign up for the Pre-buy plan.

Need Heating Oil?

No matter how much heating oil you may need, you want a company that puts customers first. That inherently means offering fair, transparent pricing, but it also means reliable deliveries when you need them. Find out why so many homeowners and businesses across northern Vermont count on Corse.

Contact us for mor information or to schedule a delivery today.