How Many Gallons of Heating Oil Will You Need?
Annual Consumption in a Normal Michigan Winter
Throughout the heating season, homeowners in Michigan can expect to need from 700 to 900 gallons of heating oil during a normal winter.
Why is there such a broad range? It’s because many variables affect the actual amount of heating oil homeowners will use each year. Naturally, outdoor temperatures play a large role, but other variables include the size of your home, the quality of your home’s insulation, the efficiency of your heating system and how well it’s been maintained, and the thermostat setting your family feels comfortable with during the heating season. For example, having your home’s thermostat set at 68 degrees instead of 72 degrees during the cold weather can pare down your heating oil usage and save you money along the way.
Let’s return to the role of weather, or more specifically, how cold winter gets. In an average-size home (about 2,400 square feet), let’s say the temperature during a 24-hour period averaged 20 degrees. You probably would burn about seven gallons to keep your home warm. On the other hand, if the average temperature was 40 degrees the next day, you would probably use a little under four gallons during that time because less heat is needed. Calculate that over a longer period and you’ll see what a difference the average winter temperature has on overall heating oil usage.
Be Ready for a Delivery
Here’s what you can do to help make sure that a heating oil delivery can be made whenever you need it:
- Make sure your outdoor heating oil tank is always cleared of ice and snow.
- Shovel a path to your heating oil tank or oil fill pipe after a snowstorm.
- Mark the location of an underground tank with a stake or flag that is visible above snow so your delivery driver can find it easily.
- Keep your driveway sanded and plowed and create a wide enough path so your heating oil company’s bulk trucks can navigate it safely.
How to Read Your Heating Oil Tank Gauge
Even if you’ve used oilheat for a long time, it never hurts to review the basics of reading the heating oil tank gauge, especially during winter. Here are three key points:
- On top of the tank is a clear glass or plastic cube that is marked with numbers that resemble the gasoline gauge of your car: F, ¾, ½, ¼. A red marker or float commonly shows the amount of fuel left in your tank – if the float is at the bottom of the gauge or not visible at all, your tank is empty or nearly empty.
- To make sure the gauge is working, carefully remove the outer case and gently press the float down. If it bobs back up to the original position, the gauge is working. If the gauge is not working, contact your heating oil service provider to get it fixed.
- The most common size of a heating oil tank is 275 gallons, but the size of the tank doesn’t indicate how much fuel it holds. Here’s what we mean:
- When full, a 275-gallon tank holds approximately 225 gallons; the rest of the space is left to allow for air or sediment at the bottom of your tank.
- If your gauge reads “½” in a 275-gallon tank, you have about 110 gallons left, not 135 or so as you might first expect.
- Other tank sizes can run larger than 275 gallons. If you’re not sure of the size of your tank, check the side of your tank for markings; older models may not include that information. You may also find this information on your heating oil delivery ticket.
Contact your heating oil supplier today if you have any questions about your heating oil storage tank or your heating oil delivery service.
