Home Heating Oil
Home Heating Oil is a distillate of petroleum. It is commonly used to heat homes and businesses heating in countries where other fuels are unavailable. Heating oil is used widely across the northeast US states, and not at all in the Rocky Mountain States. Concerns over spillage and environmental damage is a major reason to protect water source from oil contamination.
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.
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[...] 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 [...]