Before you sign up with a heating oil company, ask them several questions about their business. One thing you want to know is how long they have been in this business, how expert they are with heating oil problems. If you encounter a problem in the dead of winter, you cannot have a rookie tinkering, doing even more damage that will cost money to fix. Reliable, certified technicians who are on call 24/7 for a company assure quality customer service. It is good to know that your company service trucks are stocked with parts you might need as well, so you don’ t have to wait for shipments in the cold.

Payment for expensive heating oil is another concern to be addressed. Does your company offer a payment plan to extend costs over the entire year instead of whopping big bills during the winter? Do they have any service protection plans to ward off high repair bills? And, do they have any credit plans that you can use? Finally, things happen, especially in winter icy and snowy weather. Does your heating oil company carry liability insurance in case they slip in the winter and damage your property or house?

Costs of heating oil are only one factor in service from heating oil companies. You want reliable people who know the area and have been a stable business. You want to know that your company and not an unknown subcontractor will do your work. You want to know if your technicians are trustworthy. Anyone can get a tank truck and set up a business, but only the best stay in business and are ready when you need them, for oil or repair. Be sure you investigate before you invest!

In the US, home heating oil is mostly used for heating in northeastern states. It was a change from messy coal heat in the 1920’s, replacing coal furnaces and bins quickly. The home heating oil tanks became an industry. Steel tanks last about 15 to 20 years before encountering problems from moisture and age. The piping and filler pipes are likely places for leak to occur. Spillage can happen from delivery messes, and rarely a tank may burst. Corrosive soil for buried tanks, and sloppy installation causing dents can lead to rust and corrosion problems. Water that gets into the bottom of the tank can also cause rust.

If you use home heating oil, the tank and pipes should be inspected annually for leaks and water accumulation. If you have an old tank either above or below ground on property you purchase, it should be inspected and approved, or removed prior to your purchase. It is essential to prevent oil leaks, as they are difficult to clean up, can spread through the ground, and contaminate water supplies. Consider the situation to be hazardous and provide regular inspections to avoid environmental problems.

The home heating oil tanks are the main part of your home oil heating system. Besides being hazardous, leaks are expensive when you lose oil contents. Most home heating oil tanks are the standard basement 275 gallon size and are made of corrosion resistant materials. Underground tanks are larger, running 550 to 1000 gallons, which is helping them become popular. Leaks are rare and preventable. Some steel tanks are coated and double bottomed so they never leak. There are also fiberglass tanks, and combination plastic with steel jacket tanks.

Oil was used centuries ago in China for lamps. They probably also benefited from its warmth at the same time. Use in homes began after the introduction of oil burners in the 1920’s, when homeowners welcomed a change away from messy coal heating. Oil could be stored in home heating oil tanks, contained, inside the basement or garage, or outside in tanks or buried in tanks. There was no messy coal bins, soot damage, and the oil heat was cleaner, warmed evenly and did not create health hazardous drafts in the home. The heat could also be controlled with a thermostat, which was a great improvement.

It is best to store home heating oil inside to prevent moisture damage to the tank. Also it is easier to inspect indoor and above ground storage tanks for leaks or other damage. The tanks are made of steel, and need annual maintenance although the oil can be stored in tanks for years. Usually that is not the problem as it takes several tank fills to get through an average northeastern states winter.

Deliveries are always made by tanker truck. Most of the cost of the gallon of home heating oil is due to marketing and delivery costs, followed by actual cost of oil, and refining. Home heating oil prices run similar to diesel fuel oil prices, but costs come from different taxes or costs. The amount of home heating oil needed to get through a winter depends on the size of the home, insulation effectiveness, cost of oil, supply available, demand, world economic state, and the weather.

Home heating oil is a good alternative fuel source for homes and businesses that do not have access to gas. Like every system, it requires periodic attention and maintenance.

Oil has been used for centuries, as far back as 3000BC, when first extracted from rock by the Mesopotamians. In 4th Century China, oil was used for lamps and probably also for heating. Heating oil for homes was widely used starting in the 1920’s with the introduction of oil burners. Prior to this, homes used coal for heat, which required storage bins, and created messy soot. Oil heat was warmer and created less drafts than coal.

Heating oil is safe enough to store in a tank inside your home, carries more BTU content per gallon than propane, and is typically a very warm heat as opposed to gas. It requires a steel tank, best placed inside a basement, but can also be placed outside or buried. Inside it is not exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures and can be monitored more easily for leaks. Oil can be stored for years, and needs annual maintenance.

Oil must be delivered by truck. About 46% of the cost of heating oil goes to marketing, while actual oil costs run about 42%, and refining accounts for about 12%. Fuel oil and diesel are almost identical, but diesel has road taxes to keep costs up, while fuel oil has delivery costs added, so they end up very similarly priced.

Some homes can go an entire winter on a single 275 gallon tank, others require upwards of 1000 gallons depending on size and insulation values. Some homeowners try to take advantage of lower summer prices by filling their tanks then, but most homes need more than a tank, or 4 or 5 tanks to get through an average winter. Final costs on heating oil depend on world economic conditions, supply and demand, and weather.

Unfortunately, the cost of heating your home this winter is going to be much higher than in years past. Federal energy officials estimate an extravagant increase of fifteen percent compared to the heating costs of last winter. Home heating oil prices in the northeastern portion of our country will average approximately three dollars and ninety cents compared to the three dollars and thirty-one cents paid for this valuable product last year.

Even though home heating oil prices are so high, the price has actually dropped considerably since the summer and representatives of independent oil dealers announce that the price may even decrease further. Homeowners throughout the entire United States of America, especially in our states which endure cold winters, will be happy to see this current trend.

The terrible economic conditions in America are causing our home heating oil prices to go down. Crude oil prices are down about fifty percent since the summer. Currently we have an abundance of supply compared to the demand and this is helping to bring our home heating oil prices down. But the price we pay for heating our homes is still significantly higher than what they were last year.