How to Save Money on Home Oil Bills
The price of oil has become a major issue for Americans. Filling up the gas tank has become a large part of the budget, but home heating bills for anyone using an oil furnace have risen dramatically, too. But by following a few tips, you can save money on your home oil bills.
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Instructions
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Shop around for an oil company that has lower prices for oil on a consistent basis (see Resources below). Some oil companies may be willing to throw in a free burner service contract for your furnace. This generally allows you to get one free furnace cleaning per year and free maintenance on your furnace if it should break down. The burner service contract could save you hundreds of dollars per year.
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Get a programmable thermostat for your furnace. A programmable thermostat gives you the ability to lower the temperature in the house while you are at work or school, and set the furnace to kick in right before you get home, pushing the temperatures back up to the normal level when you arrive. This saves you from paying to heat the house while no one is home.
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Use your fireplace. Instead of just using your oil furnace to heat the house, give it some help. Light a fire in the fireplace, which will give a romantic, cozy feeling to your home as an added bonus for saving money on your oil bill.
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Insulate your home. Purchase and install new windows and doors that block out cold air. Insulate your attic so heat doesn't escape through the roof. Install energy-saving window inserts (see Resources below). Use caulking on the windows or weather stripping to prevent further heat loss.
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Minimize opening and closing windows and doors to the outside of your home. Each time you open your front door, you lose heat to the outside. If you need to have the door or window open often, replace the summer screens with winter glass panels.
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Turn down the thermostat a couple of degrees. Go from 72 to 70 degrees F, for example. Just this small shift in temperature will save big on oil costs.
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Block off the vents in rooms that you don't use. There is no need to heat a room only used for storage, or a basement that no one uses regularly. The less rooms you have to heat, the less you will spend on oil.
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Tips & Warnings
You may wish to consider switching your home to a different heating method. Consider natural gas.
If you use a programmable thermostat, your electricity bill may increase slightly. It takes more energy to heat the house back up to the normal level than it does to keep the temperature consistent. You still save overall since the electricity cost is usually less than the oil cost.
If you use a programmable thermostat, don't turn your heat down too low. You still need to make sure the pipes don't freeze, so aim for a temperature between 55 and 62 degrees F.
Do not attempt to use your fireplace if it hasn't been properly cleaned and checked out.
