How To Save Money On
Heating Oil At Home

As the cold season draws near, the need to keep our homes warm becomes paramount. Yet, in recent months, the rising costs of heating oil have placed a significant strain on homeowners everywhere.

With energy expenses soaring, many are searching for ways to curtail their spending without compromising comfort. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to save money on heating oil, improve efficiency, and minimise wastage.

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Saving On Heating Oil

Believe it or not, a significant portion of your potential savings lies in the very oil you use to heat your home. From strategic bulk purchases to ensuring the efficiency of your boiler, there are multiple avenues to explore that can lead to notable reductions in your heating bills.

Buy Oil In Bulk

One of the most straightforward strategies to cut heating costs is buying oil in bulk. Typically, suppliers offer discounted rates when purchasing large quantities, as it's more cost-effective for them to deliver and process larger orders. This not only ensures that you secure a lower per-unit price, but also reduces the frequency of delivery fees. Moreover, buying in bulk can be a safeguard against potential price hikes during peak winter months. By locking in a rate ahead of the peak season, you can avoid the fluctuations and uncertainties of market prices, ensuring consistent savings and uninterrupted warmth throughout the colder months.

Owning An Efficient Boiler

Another tip for saving a substantial amount on your heating expenses is to focus on the efficiency of your boiler. The boiler, often seen as the heart of a home's heating system, has a pronounced impact on how much you spend on heating oil.

Operating with an old or poorly maintained unit might result in excessive oil consumption without delivering the warmth you desire. In contrast, a modern and well-maintained boiler ensures that every bit of oil is used optimally, translating to maximum warmth with minimal waste.

Large Capacity Tanks

Investing in a higher capacity heating oil tank presents homeowners with a distinct economic advantage: the opportunity to buy heating oil in bulk. Larger tanks can accommodate more substantial amounts of oil, which means you can capitalise on bulk purchase discounts often offered by suppliers.

Having the capacity to store larger quantities of heating oil also means that homeowners can take advantage of fluctuations in the price of oil. For example, by filling their tank when the price is lower, it’s possible to achieve a level of protection against price increases at a later date.

However, while buying in bulk can be helpful in regards to cost savings, it’s also important to balance the amount of capital tied up in heating oil that may not be needed immediately, and ensuring that an oil purchased will be used before it expires, which can often be around the two year point.

Understanding How Much Oil You Need

An essential step in optimising heating costs is accurately gauging how much oil your household truly requires. By closely monitoring your usage patterns and considering factors such as the time of year, prevailing weather conditions, and the size and insulation of your home, you can more precisely estimate your needs.

Over-ordering can result in unnecessary expenses, especially if you do not use all of the fuel before it expires. Meanwhile under-ordering may lead to urgent, and often more expensive, top-up orders.

By adjusting your order size based on seasonality and expected temperature drops, you can prevent wastage and ensure you're only paying for what you genuinely need within a given period of time, leading to consistent and substantial savings.

Maintaining Your Oil Tank

One often overlooked strategy for reducing heating expenses is diligent maintenance of your oil tank. Regularly inspecting and ensuring the good condition of your oil tank can stave off unforeseen costs and enhance the efficiency of your heating system. Many homeowners underestimate the importance of this routine check, allowing minor issues to escalate into major setbacks. For instance, unnoticed contaminants in the oil tank can compromise its functionality, and unchecked leaks can lead to significant oil loss.

Moreover, periodic servicing of your heating equipment is paramount. Regular checks guarantee that the system operates at peak efficiency, reducing the chances of premature oil depletion. Such maintenance not only prevents avoidable breakdowns but also prolongs the life of your equipment. In essence, proactive care and routine servicing of your oil tank and heating equipment can be the difference between a smoothly functioning system and unforeseen, costly repairs.

Maintaining System Efficiency

Building on the significance of maintaining the oil tank, it's equally crucial to consider the entire heating ecosystem. Every component, from the tank to the boiler and the connecting pipelines, plays a role in the overall efficiency of the system. It's not just about preventing leaks or contaminants; it's also about ensuring optimal combustion, effective heat transfer, and minimal energy wastage. Regular servicing of the boiler, for instance, can identify scaling or soot accumulation, which can hamper efficiency. Similarly, checking pipelines for insulation integrity can prevent heat loss.

Preventing
Leaks

For homeowners prioritising both safety and efficiency, bunded oil tanks are widely considered to be the best choice. Unlike conventional tanks, bunded designs feature a dual-layer system: an inner tank holding the fuel and an outer 'bund' that serves as a protective barrier. This design significantly reduces the risk of leaks, ensuring that any potential spillage from the inner tank is captured by the outer layer. In practical terms, this means a minimised risk of oil wastage and the associated costs. Additionally, the bund offers an extra layer of environmental protection, preventing ground contamination.

Level Monitoring
Systems

Integrating a level monitoring system into your home's oil storage solution, including a suitable tank gauge, can be a game-changer in terms of cost and efficiency. By keeping a vigilant eye on oil usage and levels, homeowners can promptly identify and address any irregularities or potential leaks, ensuring that not a drop of the precious commodity goes to waste. When integrated with a suitable fuel management system, it’s possible to easily and accurately check your oil supply level and usage rate, so that you can ensure you’re able to order oil when needed and also respond quickly to leaks or spillages.

Oil Tank Security

As heating oil costs rise, ensuring the security of your oil tank becomes ever more essential. Safeguarding your tank not only protects a valuable asset but also guarantees that you're not left vulnerable to unexpected expenses due to theft or vandalism. A secure tank ensures consistent, uninterrupted heating for your home, while simultaneously deterring potential opportunistic threats.

Preventing Oil Theft

Oil theft has unfortunately become more prevalent over recent years. Homeowners are increasingly targeted as thieves look to capitalise on the rising costs of fuel. One effective deterrent is the installation of alarms specifically designed for oil tanks. These sound off when sudden drops in oil levels occur, alerting homeowners to potential theft. Additionally, having CCTV cameras focused on your tank can dissuade would-be thieves. Another simple yet effective measure is movement-triggered lighting, which can startle and deter intruders. By investing in these security measures, homeowners can not only safeguard their valuable oil reserves but also avoid the unplanned expense of refilling stolen oil.

It’s worth reviewing the security measures you have in place periodically, and identifying any further steps you can take to help prevent oil theft from your property.

Ways To Help Your Heating Last Longer

Beyond the specifics of heating oil and equipment, there are other intuitive ways to conserve warmth and save money within your home. By embracing certain practices and habits, you can maximise the efficiency of your heating system and keep those cold drafts at bay.

Choosing the right tank gauge is a critical decision that can significantly affect your operation's efficiency and safety. A multitude of factors come into play when making this choice, and it's essential to weigh each one carefully.

Boil Less Hot Water

It's easy to habitually fill the kettle to the top, but boiling only the amount of water you need can lead to significant energy savings. Over time, this reduces the energy consumed and thus, the associated costs. Being mindful of your hot water usage can make a surprising difference to your energy bills.

Use The Clothes Dryer Less

Clothes dryers, while convenient, consume a lot of energy. Opting for line drying or using indoor drying racks, especially during warmer months, can save a considerable amount on your energy bill. Moreover, it's gentler on your clothes, preserving their longevity and reducing wear and tear.

Close Your Curtains In The Evenings

Curtains serve more than just an aesthetic purpose; they are instrumental in retaining warmth. By closing your curtains as the sun sets, you create an additional insulating layer that traps heat inside. This simple act can substantially reduce the rate at which heat escapes through windows, ensuring that your rooms remain cosy, and reducing the need for constant heating.

Shut Doors & Windows To Prevent Drafts

Drafts can significantly decrease a room's temperature, making your heating system work harder to maintain warmth. By ensuring that all doors and windows are properly shut, especially in unused rooms, you can maintain a consistent temperature throughout your home. Consider draft stoppers or weather stripping for added insulation against chilly breezes.

Be More
Energy-Efficient

Adopting an energy-efficient mindset is about more than just reducing costs; it's about making the most of the resources at hand. Simple actions, such as switching to LED bulbs, unplugging devices when not in use, and purchasing energy-efficient appliances, can have a cumulative impact on reducing energy consumption, making your home more eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Expert Advice on Heating Oil Storage Solutions

Whether you want to install a new heating oil tank, are looking for accessories to make your system more efficient or secure, or require advice about any aspect of heating oil storage, get in touch with the team at Northern Tank Store.

With decades of experience in helping homeowners and businesses find the best fuel storage solutions for their needs, we’re able to offer expert advice and recommendations to ensure your heating oil system performs at its best and doesn’t cost you a fortune.

Browse All Heating Oil Storage

How To Save Money On
Heating Oil At Home