Is Your Heating Oil Tank Full for Winter?
Written on: October 9, 2023
Plus 12 Other Tips to Stay Cozy this Season
Don’t wait until the first frost: A few easy preparations now can pave the way for a warm and comfortable winter.
- Fill your heating oil tank. Topping up your tank now with a heating oil delivery is a smart move to help avoid mid-season price spikes that come from increased demand—especially if we end up having a colder winter.
- Sign up for automatic deliveries. Our convenient, free service eliminates the need to call for deliveries and makes run-outs a thing of the past.
- Schedule a heating system tune-up. It ensures your system is running at peak efficiency—which can lower heating costs by as much as 10%. It also helps prevent breakdowns. Have a service contract with us? A tune-up is included in your plan.
- Don’t have a service contract? Now’s a great time to sign up. In addition to seasonal maintenance, you’ll enjoy priority service, plus discounts on repairs and diagnostics, and more.
- Keep fuel bills manageable. Call us for information on our monthly budget plan, and ask about next season’s pre-buy and price cap plans.
- Check your oil-tank inspection records. If it’s been three years since your last inspection, give us a call. Our certified team of service technicians can assure your tank is up to speed and ready for the seasons ahead.
- Eliminate drafts. Unless you live in a brand-new home, it’s likely that as much as a third of the air in your home escapes via drafts around windows and doors. That’s like throwing money out the window—or door. A weekend of DIY projects, like sealing up drafty spots with caulking, weatherstripping and expanding foam, can help save you 20% or more on heating costs.
- Test your carbon monoxide detectors. With windows shut tight and the heat on, winter is the most dangerous time when it comes to carbon monoxide poisoning. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations and change batteries. Smoke detector batteries too!
- Be sure the path to your fill pipe is free of debris and branches, and clear a path (about a foot wide) after a snowfall.
- Is your tank underground? Marking its location with a pole topped with a bright-colored flag or wide ribbon makes it visible over snowbanks and drifts.
- Master your programable thermostat. Used correctly, a programmable thermostat can help you lower your heating costs by 10% or more. To maximize your savings, follow these easy steps: When you’re at home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°. Lower the temperature setting by 10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.
- Turn down your water heater. Most water heaters have a default setting of 140° but that’s not only dangerous, it’s also inefficient. Reducing the temperature setting to 120° will meet all your hot water needs and save as much as 10% in heating costs. When you consider that heating water—for bathing, dishwashing, laundry and more—accounts for close to 20% of your heating costs, you may want to talk to us about upgrading your water heater to a high-efficiency model that can help you save even more.
- Take advantage of solar power. We’re not talking about expensive solar panels. We’re talking about the free heat from the sun. Leaving curtains and blinds open during the day lets the sun warm your rooms. Closing them at night helps keep the heat in. It can warm your rooms enough that you can lower your thermostat and use your boiler or furnace less.
When it comes to staying warm and comfortable this winter, trust the pros at Marandola: We have the knowledge, experience and resources to answer all your questions about keeping your family warm while managing heating costs. Get in touch with us today to learn more.
