Heating your home with oil – what to expect.
If you’re a new homeowner or new to oil heat, you may have some questions about how things work or what to expect during your first years with home heating oil. Here are your answers.
Is heating oil safe?
Yes. Home heating oil is extremely safe. It is non-flammable and won’t spontaneously combust or ignite thanks to its high flash point.
How much should I expect to pay for home heating oil?
Home heating oil is sold by the gallon. Historically daily heating oil prices vary depending on the cost of petroleum, also known as crude oil. Though prices will vary year to year, and even day to day, the annual cost of heating oil for your home will depend on several other factors.
These factors include the temperature outside, the size of your home, the efficiency of your home and equipment, the hours you are home, usage (heat only or heat and water heater,) as well as what temperature the thermostat is set at. If your home has poor insulation or your system is older and inefficient, or if you have a big open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, you may end up using more oil than average. The same is true for those who prefer the thermostat at 72 vs. a lower 68 degrees, as maintaining higher temperatures uses more oil.
Where do you get your oil price?
We offer competitive pricing based on the current market values of diesel fuel. The price can change as often as gas. Concerned about pricing? We offer price matching, just give us a call!
How much heating oil will I need?
Your home’s total home heating oil usage for the season (typically September through April) will depend on a variety of factors. The main factors are outside temperatures, the number of family members, your home’s size, how well insulated the home is, how efficient is your heating system, and does the oil heat your hot water? If the information is available, ask the prior homeowner. Typically the average home will use 600-1,000 gallons depending on size and insulation.
Your usage will be based on the factors above, as well your budget. A reliable average to start with is 100 gallons a month during the coldest winter months. The usage rate of your home based on outside temperatures will become apparent after the first month or so. After the first winter in a home it becomes easier to calculate the amount of oil you’ll use and if you order online, you’ll have easy access to the amount of oil you’ve ordered and when it was delivered. In spring, summer and fall heating oil usage is much less, and a full tank may last many months. For the budget-conscious we offer tiered pricing online, so you can save more the more you buy. If you don’t want to worry about ordering, we offer automatic reoccurring delivery.
When should I order heating oil?
We always recommend ordering a fill when your tank is at 1/4 full. If you go below a quarter of a tank, you could risk running out of fuel all together. We offer automatic deliveries at 30-60 days to make winters easier.
If you do happen to run out of fuel, your system will require a prime and restart before it can continue heating your home. This service requires our driver or tech to access your unit, bleed the lines, prime the system and restart it. This service typically costs anywhere from $20 or more, especially if a service tech has to come out after an oil delivery. Prime & starts happen but you can prevent the extra cost by always ordering when your gauge reads 1/4 tank.
Oil tanks and furnaces
What maintenance does my oil furnace need?
Like any modern machine, your oil fired furnace or boiler will require maintenance to keep it operating at peak performance. We recommend an annual cleaning and service to maintain top efficiency, and reduce long term costs. Replacing the oil tank filter annually is a good practice and can be done by a service tech.
Additionally, it’s important to regularly replace your furnace’s filter. The air filter can greatly impact efficiency if it is dirty. How often you need to replace your filter will vary with filter sizes and the conditions in your home. Typically replacement is recommended every 3-6 months. If you live with pets, have an older home, use fans often or just hate dusting, you’ll need to replace your filter more frequently due to the additional particles in your home’s air. If your home is new and you dust meticulously, you can replace it less often.
My tank gauge is broken. How do I know the amount of heating oil in my tank?
Using a long metal dipstick labeled with inches, measure the dept of the oil currently in the tank. An access hole is located on the top of the tank. Then note how many inches of oil are in the tank.
What is a whistle?
When your tank is being filled with home heating oil there is a whistle sound that continues during the delivery until the oil has reached its maximum usable capacity in the tank. The whistle is located in the vent pipe above the tank. The whistle allows the delivery person to know that the air is flowing out of the vent pipe and the tank and pipes are functioning properly. When that whistles stops, the driver must turn off the pump. This indicates that the tank is full and pumping should be stopped immediately. Deliveries cannot be made if you have a faulty or broken whistle.
Order & delivery
What kind of fuel do you sell?
We sell a variety of diesel fuels including, home heating oil also called #2 oil, on- and off-road diesel, marine diesel and biodiesel.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Amex and Discover credit and debit cards for online orders. COD or check please call.
When can I expect delivery?
Delivery times can vary depending on your location but typically you can expect delivery between 24-72 hours. Emergency same day delivery is also available in some areas.
If the price goes up before I receive my delivery, do I pay the higher price?
No, when you order online, your price will be based on the pricing of your order date, not delivery date.
Do I need to be home for delivery?
We can deliver to most locations without someone on site. Exceptions include heater prime & starts and fuel line bleeding or lack of tank access.
Do you accept state assistance / LIHEAP?
Please read this section carefully to keep your family safe and secure: Yes, we’re happy to work with you and the state of Pennsylvania. Please reference vendor ID #102719853 on your LIHEAP application. We also work directly with the State of Delaware Catholic Charities program and Delaware County, PA COSA Programs. We also work with charities and churches.
What is a “Prime & Start”?
If you have run out of oil, you likely need a Prime & Start to get the air out of your fuel line so that your burner can re-light. We have technicians available to do “Prime & Starts.” You will need to order this service on-line at the time you place your order and will also need to be home to give access to your boiler or furnace. If “Prime & Start” service is not available in your area, you should simply contact a local heating contractor and schedule a service call.
Where do you deliver?
We offer home heating oil and diesel fuel delivery to Chester County and Delaware County in Pennsylvania, New Castle County in Delaware, and a variety of locations in Maryland.
What if my tank will not take all the gallons I ordered?
No problem. If you ordered online, your credit or debit card will automatically be credited for any gallons you do not receive. If you prepaid over the phone, you will receive a credit on your account for the difference.
If you take less than the minimum delivery amount, you will be charged a short load fee of $50.
What does normal weather and operational conditions mean?
Normal weather refers to typical weather conditions expected for that time of the year. Unusual weather conditions that could cause delivery delays can include:
– Inability for trucks to enter driveways or parking lots, typically due to snow and ice.
– Poor road conditions caused by rain, snow, wind, ice, sleet, etc.
– Weather conditions that slow deliveries such as snow, ice, wind, and temperatures.
– Below average winter temperatures over several days which may occasionally cause an unusual increase in demand in a short period of time.
Normal operational conditions refer to the typical availability of supplies and equipment required to respond to a normal number of deliveries. Unusual operating conditions that could cause a delivery delays can include:
– Limited availability of fuel, or other supplies, that could be caused by circumstances such as terminal closures or restricted access, unavailability of fuel at terminals, other situations that cause delays in securing fuel or other supplies.
– Mechanical breakdowns or malfunctions that limit the ability for a company to perform their normal functions.
– Labor actions, such as work stoppages, work slowdowns or strikes, that negatively impact the ability for a company to conduct their normal business activity.
Website & account
How do I know my credit card data and my personal data are secure?
Our SSL certificate is your assurance of data safety and security. Our website meets or exceeds all security standards for processing credit cards and storing personal data. We maintain PCI compliance, which is the credit card industries ongoing evaluation and acceptance of our credit card processing standards. Our data entry process is done using secure servers and all data is stored encrypted for your security. No credit card data is stored on our computers or in our database. All credit card information is passed to the credit card processors, via our credit card gateway, which is the standard for credit card security.
I forgot my password. What do I do?
It’s easy. Just go to the login screen, enter your user ID and then click “forgot password”. You will then be asked a few additional questions and then guided to either Reset or Proceed further. If you need assistance feel free to email us at Info@fueloilnow.com.
Can I cancel my order?
Orders can be cancelled within 1 hour of placement by calling us at 610-494-4874. Once an order is placed, our automated system immediately dispatches your order and it may already be on a delivery vehicle on its way to your home or business. If you have accidentally placed a duplicate order, please contact us ASAP at the number above or emailing at Info@fueloilnow.com.
I have other questions. Can you help me?
If you still have questions about home heating oil, please reach out to our team at info@fueloilnow.com. We want to give you the tools and information you need to make the most of heating with oil.