For Those That Heat Their Homes With Oil

**banana** · 06-22-2006, 01:37 PM

If you dont mind me asking...................where do you live?, what type of house?, do you use oil for hotwater? and how many gallons do you use in a year?

I just wanted to see if I am using the average amount or not.

I live in PA in a 1300 sq foot brick ranch with a partially finished basement that is also heated (400 sq feet). The house is very old approx 45 year old.
We have hotwater baseboard heat and we also use oil for our hotwater.

The very first year we lived here (have been here since 2002) we used approx 800 gallons but I was home with my son since he wasnt in school yet. Fast forward to this year. We used 537 gallons but we had new windows installed last April, added insulation to the attic and used space heaters during the day to supplement the heat (I wouldnt use the space heaters if it was too cold or windy out). I also turn the heat off between the hours of approx 8 am - 2 pm, since my son is in school all day and I have a partime job. We had a mild January here in PA which I am sure contributed to my low usage.

I was just wondering how many gallons of oil do you consume a year? Do you have any tips you could share to lower the consumption?

Gotta say I just love this board everyone has such great tips to share!

**BTK** · 06-22-2006, 07:30 PM

We have a 1300 sq ft house with an unfinished basement. We only heat with oil. Everything else is electric. We live in Ohio, and our house was built in 1942.

Last year we went through approximately 300-350 gallons of oil.

**SewCrafty** · 06-23-2006, 07:28 AM

We heat with oil too, hot water baseboard, about 1450 sq. footage, unfinished basement, not heated. I'm chuckling at your 'very' old home at 45 years, ours is an old farm house almost 200 yrs. old!

I honestly don't know how much oil we use in a year as I don't take care of the bills anymore. I'll check and let you know later today. Oh and I live in upstate NY about 30 miles from the PA border.

Sounds like you are doing everything you can to keep your utilities low.

**Hollyhandi** · 06-23-2006, 08:06 AM

I live alot farther up than Sew Crafty in NY state. We use both oil and wood
We went thru 500 gallons last winter plus about 10 cords of wood.(kitchen cookstove )
We have an 100 year old farm house with very little insulation ( Yet )
We get nailed with the West Wind during Lake Effect and you can't keep this place warm.

**ktboop1** · 06-23-2006, 04:32 PM

Hi Banana~
I live in SE Wisconsin. My home is 55 years old, and heated with oil heat (forced air furnace). My house is 1487 square feet plus a half finished basement. We used 620 gallons of oil last winter. The furnace started running in mid-october at least part of the time. The last time it kicked on was in Late April. My home desparately needs some new windows

. My heat was never above 66 last year and it was down right chilly in there most of the time.