How Long Does Heating Oil Last?
How many gallons a home burns each winter month, how long 100 or 200 gallons really lasts, and a calculator for the oil in your tank right now.
An average home that heats with oil burns about 3 gallons a day in January and about 2 gallons a day in November, based on the federal government’s winter forecast. At that pace, 100 gallons lasts about a month in January and about seven weeks in November. Your house may burn more or less, so use the calculator below with your own numbers.
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01How much heating oil does a house use per day?
For an average oil-heated home, about 2 to 3 gallons a day through the heating season. January is the peak.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that the average home heating with oil will use about 402 gallons from November 2026 through March 2027. Spread across the months, it looks like this:
| Month | Gallons for the month | Gallons per day |
|---|---|---|
| November | About 62 | About 2.1 |
| December | About 85 | About 2.7 |
| January | About 97 | About 3.1 |
| February | About 83 | About 3.0 |
| March | About 75 | About 2.4 |
| Season | About 402 |
Source: EIA Winter Fuels Outlook, October 2026. Gallons per day are the monthly figures divided by the days in the month.
“Average” covers a lot of houses. A big older home can burn twice that, and a small, tight one a lot less. Your delivery tickets from last winter are the best guide to your own number.
02How long 100, 150 and 200 gallons of heating oil last
At the average pace, 100 gallons lasts about a month in January and about seven weeks in November.
| Month | 100 gallons | 150 gallons | 200 gallons |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | About 48 days | About 73 days | About 97 days |
| December | About 36 days | About 55 days | About 73 days |
| January | About 32 days | About 48 days | About 64 days |
| February | About 34 days | About 51 days | About 67 days |
| March | About 41 days | About 62 days | About 83 days |
For an average oil-heated home, using EIA’s 2026–27 monthly forecast. If your home burned about 800 gallons last winter, roughly twice the average, cut these in half.
How about a whole tank? A standard 275-gallon tank, run from full down to 1/4, gives an average home roughly two months of heat in the middle of winter. Here’s how to read your oil tank gauge in gallons.
03Heating oil calculator: how many days do you have left?
Plug in what’s in your tank and how much oil you used last winter.
Days-left calculator
Last winter’s total is on your delivery tickets. Not sure? Leave it at 402, the EIA average.
The calculator spreads your winter total across the months the same way EIA’s forecast does, so January burns faster than November. A hard cold snap will burn faster still, so treat the result as a guide, not a promise.
Under 1/4 tank?
Order heating oil online 24/7 at today’s price. Standard delivery takes 24 to 72 hours.
04Why a cold snap burns oil so much faster
Heating use follows how far the day’s average temperature falls below 65°F. Forecasters call that number heating degree days.
A day that averages 30°F counts as 35 heating degree days (65 minus 30). A day that averages 10°F counts as 55. So the 10°F day burns about 55 ÷ 35, or roughly 1.6 times, as much oil as the 30°F day.
You can use the same idea to estimate any day:
Quick formula
Gallons per day ≈ your winter gallons × (65 − the day’s average temperature) ÷ 4,331
4,331 is the number of heating degree days EIA expects across the Northeast this winter. For an average home (402 gallons), a 20°F day works out to about 4.2 gallons.
That’s why a week of single digits can take a quarter tank in days, not weeks. When a deep freeze is in the forecast, check the gauge first.
05What makes a home use more heating oil
Two houses on the same street can burn very different amounts. These are the usual reasons.
- Size, insulation and drafts. More space to heat, and more places for heat to escape.
- The thermostat setting. Every degree the house runs warmer means more hours of burner time. Turning the heat down at night and while you’re out cuts oil use.
- The age and upkeep of the boiler or furnace. An older system, or one that’s overdue for a tune-up, burns more oil for the same heat. See HVAC maintenance and repairs.
- Hot water. If oil heats your water too, you’ll use some oil all year, not just in winter.
06How to never run out of heating oil
Order at about 1/4 tank, or let us keep track for you.
- Order at 1/4. On a 275-gallon tank that’s about 57 gallons, roughly two and a half weeks for an average home in January. See how ordering works.
- Automatic delivery. We schedule a fill every 30 to 60 days, so you’re covered without watching the gauge.
- Smart Oil Gauge. Check your level and how fast you’re using oil from an app on your phone. See smart tank monitors.
Already out? Here’s what to do if you run out of heating oil. If paying for oil is a stretch this winter, see heating oil assistance in PA and Delaware. We’re an approved Pennsylvania LIHEAP vendor.
07Heating oil usage FAQs
How much heating oil does a house use per day?
An average oil-heated home uses about 2 to 3 gallons a day in winter: about 2.1 in November and about 3.1 in January, based on EIA’s 2026–27 winter forecast. Bigger or draftier homes use more.
How long does 100 gallons of heating oil last?
For an average oil-heated home, about 32 days in January, 36 in December and 48 in November. A home that burns twice the average gets about half that.
How long does 200 gallons of heating oil last?
For an average oil-heated home, about 64 days in January and about 97 days in November.
How long does a 275-gallon oil tank last?
Run from full down to 1/4, a standard 275-gallon tank gives an average oil-heated home roughly two months of heat in midwinter, and longer in the fall or spring.
How much heating oil does a house use in a winter?
EIA expects the average home that heats with oil to use about 402 gallons from November 2026 through March 2027. Your delivery tickets from last winter show your own total.
How can I make my heating oil last longer?
Turn the thermostat down when you’re asleep or away, keep the boiler or furnace tuned up, and seal drafts. Ordering at 1/4 tank or signing up for automatic delivery keeps you from running out.
Keep the heat on all winter
We deliver heating oil across Delaware County and Chester County, PA, and New Castle County, DE. Order online 24/7, or ask about automatic delivery.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Winter Fuels Outlook 2026–27 (October 2026): heating oil use per household by month (402 gallons for the season) and the Northeast heating degree day forecast (4,331).
- Tank gallons by gauge reading: our 275-gallon tank chart.
- Delivery times, automatic delivery, the Smart Oil Gauge and LIHEAP vendor status: American Energy Supply.
American Energy Supply is a woman-owned, family-run fuel company in Upper Chichester, PA. Since 2009 we’ve delivered heating oil to homes across Delaware County, Chester County and New Castle County, DE, and diesel, gasoline and DEF to businesses.
