please explain oil heating to me...

[Hawknest]

Originally Posted by unit731

The original poster is renting.

Hazard to guess that not going to spend funds on any wood stoves and such.

Some fireplaces are constructed for heat. But yes, not too efficient.
Don't think that renters would get into the wood thing.

Better option is to close off the fireplace. Not let any inside heat escape.

Even so, the owner should have the chimney swept to prevent a fire. It's a safety measure that should be undertaken only by a qualified person.

[JukieF]

We were new to oil heat when we moved into our house four years ago. It's been a learning curve for us, too. I read that fuel oil prices are usually lowest in the late summer/early fall, in the off season. So we always have our two oil tanks filled at that time (usually August or September). If you pay cash when they fill your tanks, you can get a discount. This one fill lasts us the entire year (we're usually down to about 1/4 when we refill). Of course, we have two large tanks and a well-insulated house, plus we keep our thermostat pretty low in the winter. But I think you'll find that, if you can afford to do it, you're better off watching prices and filling the tank when you can afford to pay cash.

You can check a web site like this to compare prices:
New Hampshire