Average Oil Usage (house, square footage, living)

[rachelleew]

Hello. I need some help with my grandmothers oil bill. I just started helping her with her bills and her oil bill is $600 a month!! This seems high to me. I have oil heat at my house as well and I don't use 300 gallons in 3 months. She is being charged for 200 gallons a month and I just don't see how that is possible. Maybe if I know how many gallons other people were using a month I could get an idea of an avergage usage per month. Is 200 gallons really an average amount today?

[ontheroad]

I don't have much experience with heating a house this size (2 stories, plus attic and cellar) but in September I had 500g of oil. In January, I checked the gauge to ensure I had enough and I saw I had used 350g from September 15-January 15 (approx). The local oil people deliver a minimum of 150g.

However, I am not prone to have the heat above 60-65 degrees in the winter, and probably not on at all in warm, sunny weather.

So, in 4 months I used 350g at approximately 62 degrees, half of what your grandmother used. I suspect she is running it high, and not too high but a normal 70 or so.

You'll want to hear from folks who have similar housing, and keep their gauge higher than I do for a truer comparison.

Frankly, I was shocked I had used as much as I did, but I believe it also includes heating the water tank.

[rachelleew]

Thank you. My grandmother keeps her heat around 65 degrees. Her house is only 1 story (plus attic and cellar that have heating vents are shut off) She has 3 small bedrooms, a living room and dining room/kitchen. There is also a small family room built off the back but there is a wood stove in there and there are no heating vents in that room. I think that something is wrong with 200 gallons a month.

I was looking over her receipt again and compared it to mine. On mine it has a meter reading prior to him filling my tank and then another one after he fills the tank. This way I have proof of the amount of oil he gave me. My grandmothers bill however is different. It is stamped twice, however the top stamp is at 202 gallons and the bottom one is set to 000. The oil company said that they reset it when they are done filling the tank. How do I know that the gauge was at zero when they started filling my tank? This worries me even more and think I am going to start looking for a different oil company.

[ontheroad]

You might want to monitor it for a month or more and also make inquiries about companies in the area. I just went with one that is closest, and where I knew one of the employees. I think they are reliable, but only time will tell. I also think we have to do the gauge checking to ensure we are getting what the bill states. The difference between 60 and 65 shouldn't be that different in overall usage.

Good luck!

[TERMINOLOGY]

Check the oil tank for leaks. Can you smell a diesel type smell in you basement?

[rachelleew]

i haven't noticed any diesel smell but i will check

[MermanMike]

I have about 1200 square feet, my house is heavily insulated with an efficient radiant heating system, one floor, 10 foot ceilings, an attic, no basement. I haven't done the math precisely but I think I am running at about 120 gallons of propane a month. I am guessing propane is comparable to oil in terms of btu's per gallon burned, but I am not sure.

Your grandmother's number sounds high, but if she has an older house that is not insulated, and an inefficient heating system, it may very well be accurate.

[mathjak107]

our propane bill is about 320.00 a month , 120 gallons of propane . 2000 sq ft house with full basement which almost doubles that square footage

[jjj]

Originally Posted by rachelleew

Hello. I need some help with my grandmothers oil bill. I just started helping her with her bills and her oil bill is $600 a month!! This seems high to me. I have oil heat at my house as well and I don't use 300 gallons in 3 months. She is being charged for 200 gallons a month and I just don't see how that is possible. Maybe if I know how many gallons other people were using a month I could get an idea of an avergage usage per month. Is 200 gallons really an average amount today?

200 gallons a month usage is not out of the question. Factors would include the age of the house, age of the oil burner and the insulation factor of the house. Older homes with furnace units over 25 years old consume alot more oil then there newer counter parts. Also there should be a oil level gauge on your tank that you can momitor. Take note of the level now and the level in about 2 weeks. You should be able to get a close estimate of your oil usage .

[ff18wife]

You should also find out the last time she had her furnace serviced & cleaned. Oil furnaces really NEED to be cleaned at the beginning of each cold weather season. That would also affect the efficiency of the unit.