For a safe and comfortable winter you need your home to be heated well. Thus, buying heating oil for the furnace can be very important for you. As the prices of fuel go up and down, when and how to buy it can be a critical matter.
You need to make a wise choice while selecting the fuel oil dealer. This becomes more crucial when it comes to the people of those few off-grid areas.There are various processes and strategies by which you can make a wise choice while doing the purchase of a fuel oil. You need to cheque the current trends of the market and can also join various buying groups.
In this article get to know about five important tips to make a choice of a home heating oil.
Lets begin with the discussion about why the use of heating oil is important for home heating.
Why Can Heating Oil Be A Good Choice For Home Heating?
In the process of your home heating, buying heating oil can be safe and durable. This has clean burning properties and it does not catch fire at a normal temperature.
Cost-effectiveness: Heating oil is efficient and it can give service for a long term. This is also having stability and thus, it can be a cost-effective choice for heating commercial or residential buildings.
Safe in use: The substances of home heating oil are non-flammable and it is also not explosive. However, it can release harmful carbon monoxide. You should also keep the flammable materials away from the heating oil system.
Gives complete comfort: You can also make the choice of buying heating oil as it gives a complete range of comfort inside your home. It works for creating a perceptive warmth and takes less temperature to be heated.
Have efficiency in energy: The fuel from a heating oil supplier can work with the ratio of efficiency of 86% to 98%. This also helps you to make the saving of nearly 49% of fuel.
Use of heat pumps: You can also manage to use the heat pumps for your home heating. They work as more efficient alternatives for various furnaces. They work with electricity to carry heat to the places where it is needed.
5 tips of buying heating oil wisely
When you are going to buy heating oil from the market you need to cheque the factors like the condition of the market, forecasts for weather and the policies of various suppliers.
- Buy in off-season or early
Tips: You can go for buying heating oil in the off-season and this is the time of April to September. This time you will find that the demand will be low as the households do not need the home heating that much.
Reason: If you will buy kerosene or diesel in off-season, it can help you to save your money. You also may not need to pay a high amount for the system repairing.
- Do bulk buying
Tips: You can make a bulk buying from a heating oil supplier of nearly 1,000 to 2,500 litres. This will provide you assurance of supply and will make you ready to face any kind of emergency needs.
Reason: Saving in financial outgo is the great reason for doing the bulk buying. This will also make you sure to have a constant and reliable supply of fuel reducing any chances of fuel shortages.
- Cheque and maintain the heating system
Tips: You need to cheque the oil filters, the thermostats, the air vents and radiators. You also should clean the areas in and around the fuel tank and the duct-works also should be cleaned and properly insulated.
Reason: You need to cheque the furnace on a regular basis as this will reduce any chance of complications and will give you a high level of comfort.
- Do insulation of the home
Tips: For having the better warmth for home you need to do proper insulation of it. You need to insulate the attic and the floors. You should also work on using the draught proofing and installing the double glazing.
Reason: The proper insulation of the home reduces any kind of noise and allergens from the burning of home heating oil. This works for increasing the efficiency of energy and saving the cost. This will also reduce any kind of ice dams, mould, mildew and activities of condensation.
- Do not get tempted by contract
Tips: Don’t just trust on a contract, read each and every clause. Also cheque what are the facilities included in this and if the supplier is taking any hidden charges.
Reason: You need to cheque the missing elements in the contract, understand the red flags and take legal advice if needed.
Heating Oil Purchase As Per Tank Types
In the process of purchasing the home heating oil you need to cheque the type and size of the tank. The tanks that are of steel can be more long-lasting and there will be less chances of theft. However, the plastic tanks can increase the chances of exposure to UV rays.
Above-ground tanks: To be stored in an above-ground tank the fuel can be purchased for 30 litres to 275 litres from a heating oil supplier. But you need to work on informing the local PEA if you are purchasing more than 275 litres. For purchasing 3,500 litres you need to have a permit or licence.
Underground tanks: For the underground tanks the gasoline or furnace fuel can be purchased for 30,00o to 40,000 gallons. But steps should be taken to reduce the chances of leaks or spills. This can damage the underground soil and water.
Single-skinned tanks: The single-skinned tanks can be a good source of storing heating oil. However, they also carry the risks of spills and leaks. You need to work on better placement and maintenance of such tanks.
Integrated bunded tanks: The integrated bunded tanks have the links to a large form of bund. This bund carries 100% of the material of the inner part of the tank. These can be the safest methods for you to store the fuel. Currently the government of the UK has made it necessary to use bunded tanks for all commercial and residential needs.
Tank And Furnace Upgradation For Buying Heating Oil
If the tank of home heating oil is new it can save your investments on energy expenses. This can be measured by the AFUE or the ratings of Annual Fuel Utilisation Efficiency.
Tank size: The size of the fuel tank also makes an impact in the needs of buying heating oil. As per the size of the tank fuel needs can be more or less.
Number of people: You may want to purchase more from a heating oil supplier if the number of people at home is more and in a case of less number of people the fuel needs will also be less.
Size of home: The size of the home also affects like for the home that has one-bedroom the need of fuel will be 1,000 litres and if it is a two-bedroom house the fuel needs can be of 2,000 litres.
Heating habits: Your heating habits and the need of buying heating oil, will be affected by the level of temperature inside and outside the home. If the temperature is 50 degree F the need will be 2 gallons in one day but you will buy 7 gallons in a day when you will need more heat in a temperature of 20 degree F.
Efficiency of the furnace: Your need for home heating oil can be understood as per the ratings of AFUE. If the rating is 80% or more the working power of the system will be medium and if the ratings are 90% the working efficiency will be more.
How Much Heating Oil Can I Buy ?
The amount of fuel you will buy from a heating oil supplier will be based on different factors like the condition of the tank and its capacity.
Heating oil purchase of 500 litres: In the UK the use and purchase of heating oil can depend on many factors. Like for Brook-field fuels the cost of 500 litres will have the charges of $285 whereas the fuel for consumer council will have the price of $302. 89.
Heating oil purchase of 1,0o0 litres to 1,500 litres: In most of the domestic places of the UK the need of heating oil is nearly 1,000 litres to 1500 litres. You can install a smart monitoring system to verify the level of fuel. The heating oil like kerosene has the price of 64.37 pence for 1 litre purchase for the time-frame of 2024 in the UK.
Frequency of order: In the seasons like winters when you need to order frequently the price becomes more. The price can be low in the summers as the demand becomes low.
Needs in emergency: When you go for an emergency need for buying heating oil, the price can be high. This will also be dependent on the category of the suppliers and their services of delivery.
The Bottom Line
In summary, it can be said that the process of buying heating oil will be connected to strategic and careful planning from your side.
You should always verify when to purchase it with a lower rate. For this you can make your purchase during the off-season. Get the idea about the current strategies of pricing on different websites and links.
Manage and monitor the oil tank on a regular basis and cheque for any leaks. Keep yourself updated about the current market trends of selling and purchasing home heating oil.