How to Save on Home Heating Oil
Many homes these days still use home heating oil to keep their houses warm in the wintertime, as well as to heat the water in their hot water tank or for their washer and dishwasher. As everyone has probably noticed, anything that is made of an oil product has been going up in price on almost a daily basis.
The cost of your home heating oil depends on the cost of crude oil are, so the higher the price then the higher oil costs will be. Because of this, it behooves home owners who use heating oil to do what they can to save money. With just a little effort you can save between five and 10 percent on your oil costs.
There are a lot of ways you can save on your home heating bills. Some of these include things like checking your home for leaking cold air from the outside, especially if your home is old. Most people remember to check their storm windows for leaks, but did you also think about the crack under your doors? A lot of air can get through this seemingly small area. You can block the flow of cold air with a rolled up towel or a draft snake laid up against the door threshold.
Another place you might not think to check for air leaks is your electric wall or light switches. You can put insulation behind these to cut down on the flow of air.
It’s also a good idea to change the air filters in your furnace monthly so it has a clean filter. If the filter is dirty, the air is blocked and your furnace will have to work harder to heat your home, thus causing you to use more home oil.
Another simple trick is just to turn down your thermostat at night on both your home and on your oil-fired hot water heater. Remember, the furnace isn’t the only gadget in your home that may use home heating oil. You can buy a programmable thermostat for this so you don’t have to remember it yourself. Or, try washing your clothes in cold water more so you use less home heating oil.
Another good way to save money on home heating oil is to have a professional cleaning and inspection done every year on your furnace and your oil burner. If it’s clean, it will run much more efficiently. You can also call your utility provider and ask for a home energy audit, these are usually free and can give you some good recommendations on saving on energy, and thus using less home oil.
These simple tips and tricks could save you hundreds of dollars on your home heating oil because you will be using less of it. Besides these ideas, you can also try shopping around to see which company can give you the best price per gallon in your area. You can usually find this information on their website, or by calling them.
