Heating Oil Delivery
in Southern Maryland

There are several grades of heating oil. The heating oil you are using to heat your home likely is no. 2 fuel oil. Today’s fuel oil is much more refined than in years past. As a result, the sulfur content was reduced from 500PPM to 15PPM in July of 2019.

Heating oil and kerosene are both petroleum distillates, but they are not the same thing. Heating oil is often no. 2 fuel oil, while kerosene is an example of no. 1 fuel oil. It can be used for heating but is commonly used in portable space heaters, not in central heating systems. Kerosene has a lower flash point than no. 2 heating oil — 100 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You might also use kerosene as fuel for an oil lamp or lantern.

The price of heating oil for a house depends on several factors, including the cost of crude oil, seasonal demand for heating oil, the location of a home and the number of heating oil suppliers in an area. Often, the price of heating oil increases as demand increases, usually during the winter months. The weather, political situations and other events can influence the price of crude oil, causing it to spike during some years and fall during different years.

One way to manage the ups and downs of the cost of heating oil for your home is to sign up for a budget payment plan, which splits the cost of your home’s oil into low monthly payments.

Like a furnace, a home heating oil tank should have a relatively long life, usually around 15 years. The lifespan of an oil tank depends in large part on its design and construction. Double-walled tanks typically have a longer life than other types of tank, as the separation between the walls keeps water from settling at the base of the container, reducing the risk of corrosion.

When you schedule home heating oil delivery, you can also request that the delivery driver take a look at your oil tank to see if it is near the end of its usable life and in need of a replacement.

Does the heating oil in your home’s tank have a shelf life? If you do not use up all the fuel in your tank before the end of the winter, do you need to drain the tank and start again next season? It all depends on the condition of your home’s tank.

Provided the tank is in good shape, is not rusted and does not have a thick layer of sludge at the bottom, the heating oil you store in it should last you for several seasons.

If you are not sure whether or not the oil in your tank has gone bad, you can call in a professional to inspect the tank and to let you know what to do next.

Usually, it is a good idea to start thinking about replacing your oil tank when it is around 15 years old. You might need to replace your tank before then if you notice any problems with it. For example, if you see signs of rust on the outside of the tank or notice wet areas on the ground or floor beneath the tank, that can be a sign that it is time for a replacement. An energy consultant from SMO Energy can take a look at your current oil tank and give you an idea of whether or not it is time for a new one.