Will my heating oil last me through the winter?

Winter

How Long Will My Heating Oil Last?

Several factors come into play in calculating how much heating oil you will use and how long your heating oil will last, including: outside temperatures, the size of your home, the insulation of your home, whether you use oil for hot water, and the efficiency of your heating system. They each play a role in determing how much home heating oil you’ll use before the warmer spring and summer seasons arrive. (And Maryland and Pennsylvania weather conditions have been anything but predictable for several seasons!)

It’s better to err on the side of caution than to run out of heating oil. The chart below is based on an average home size of 2,000 to 2,100 square feet, and will help you estimate how long your fuel oil will last. Remember these are just estimates — please adjust your calculations based on both your home and your heating habits.

Another rule of thumb is to always keep your heating oil level above 30 gallons. Letting your tank run too low, or running out of oil completely, can cause sediment to clog the fuel filter. This usually results in a service call. We’d like you to prevent that expense by ordering heating oil before you run too low. Quality heating oil is also a must in preventing tank sediment.

It’s important know the size of your oil tank size when reading the fuel gauge.  The average basement or above ground home heating oil tank is 275 gallons.

The heating oil chart below uses 25 gallons for easy math.

Average Outside Temperature (°F) Approximate Gallons Used in 24 Hours Approximate Days 25 Gallons Will Last
15 7.8 3.2
20 7.0 3.6
25 6.2 4.0
30 5.3 4.7
35 4.5 5.6
40 3.7 6.8
45 2.8 8.9
50 2.0 12.5

Is it time for an oil delivery?

If the answer is yes and you live in our MD and PA delivery area, please call Tevis Energy at (410) 876-6800 or use the form on this page to contact us online.  We will serve you promptly!

We offer 24/7 emergency heating oil delivery to new and existing automatic delivery customers!

Tevis Energy customers who choose Automatic Delivery get a $0.05 per gallon discount, AND they never have to ask that dreaded question, How long will my heating oil last? They know Tevis will always deliver when their tank is between 1/4 and 1/3 full.  And if an automatic delivery customer does run out of heating oil, Tevis will deliver heating oil immediately – 24/7 – and give a $50 account credit!

You can trust your heating oil supply to Tevis Energy!