How to Save on Heating Oil

It's time to think about how to save on heating oil. If it's summertime, remember that fall and winter will arrive sooner than you think. If it's midwinter and subzero temps are hammering at your door there's still time to take steps to save on heating oil. Never let your guard down when making efforts to save on heating oil. Now is the time to take action, no matter what the month is.

Start with your heating oil furnace. When's the last time you had it cleaned and serviced? If not within the past year, pick up the phone today and call your heating oil provider for an appointment. The next best thing to having a new furnace installed is having your current one serviced. Spending the money to have the work done now will help you save on heating oil. Don't put it off or make it a "back burner" item. A well-maintained furnace should be your first priority. If you can afford it, have a new furnace installed, and make sure you purchase an EnergyStar model. You'll get the savings that come with it, plus welcome tax credits.

Inspect the weatherproofing in your home at least once a year. Take inventory and check to see if the insulating material in windows, walls, and doors has kept its integrity. Tiny leaks can add up to heat loss and big heating oil expense. Be thorough and make sure everything is well insulated. Buy energy efficient products, and have triple-pane windows installed for even greater efficiency.

If you have unused rooms in your home or apartment, keep them closed off as much as possible during heating season. If you need to keep some heat circulating within a room because of pipes or plumbing in the walls, set the radiators on low and check the room periodically to safeguard against pipes freezing, particularly during extreme cold snaps. Also, look around your home to be certain that any storage or work room is closed. Shut any pantry and shelving doors and cabinets to ensure warmth is kept where it is needed.

Make sure heating vents are clear of obstructions, such as furnishings or draperies. Look at all your radiators and clean them if they are collecting dust. You can obtain a radiator cleaning brush from the hardware store and use it, along with a vacuum cleaner, to make sure radiators are dust and dirt free.

Your thermostat should be in top working order and in a good location in your living quarters. Keep it set as low as possible during daylight hours and on milder nights, and stick to a temperature range between 65 to 68 degrees at night unless you experience a spell of frigid weather. You may want to have a programmable thermostat installed, which you can pre-set so your house is comfortably warm when you walk in the door at the end of the day.

Also worth considering are more traditional ways to stretch your dollars and save on oil heat, such as blankets and quilts. Yard sales are great places to begin searching for good woolen blankets and heavy bed covers. You'll sleep warmer while saving fuel oil dollars. If you feel adventurous, you might try a quaint Dickensian means of making your bed warmer by purchasing bed curtains. You can even throw a hot water bottle in between the sheets just to make things toastier.

Visit outdoor sporting goods and camping stores to buy long underwear made from the latest synthetic materials. You can wear them around the house during the day and evening and sleep in them as well. Nightshirts, another choice to consider, have come back into style in recent years. I wear a two-thirds length flannel night shirt in Navy blue, and I find I sleep warm on especially cold nights. Take a hint from people who spend a lot of time outdoors during cold weather by wearing several layers of clothes when you're at home. Don socks and shoes or woolen slippers, and add a scarf and stocking cap, since much body heat is lost through the head.

Other heating oil saving tips includes eating hot food, like soups and stews, which will give both physical warmth and psychological comfort. When you use the oven to prepare meals make sure you leave the oven door open to let the residual heat warm your kitchen. Ceiling fans can also be installed in various rooms of the home to move heat to the floor.

There are some don'ts when it comes to saving on oil heat. Do not use space heaters. They have a nasty reputation for starting house fires, especially if left untended, and may raise your electric bill substantially. Using candles to stave off the chill in a room is fine if you're awake, but don't fall asleep with lit candles in the house.

Oil prices fluctuate and every company does things differently. Shop around for best prices and check on line websites for lower priced heating oil providers. Arrange a payment plan to spread out the costs over a year, and keep tabs on the daily oil price by calling your provider, then ask for a delivery if prices have dropped. It makes sense to stretch your payments out rather than be hit with a hefty heating oil bill.

Finally, if you need help paying for heating oil, ask for it. If you're financially strapped and need assistance, contact your local city hall for referrals to obtain fuel assistance. Check the phone book for local and state organizations dedicated to helping the consumer on a tight budget meet their heating oil needs. Reach out for assistance before colder months set in, when getting it might be more difficult.

Though we may not be in the deep freeze now, sooner or later cold weather will arrive. By taking some of the steps presented here, you can enter the heating season in better shape financially and with less anxiety about how to heat your home.