A Quick Guide to Choosing Heating Oil for Your Business or Home

by Martina Mercer Marketing Consultant

Most people look for information on oil fuelled heating or oil fuelled boilers when moving home or business premises. The choice of using oil is usually sprung upon them and they have little alternative but to go with what the previous tenants or home owners opted for.

Oil is usually the fuel of choice in rural properties, those a little beyond the suburbs or in areas where there isn’t a dense population. For home heating, the oil that is used is kerosene. You can usually obtain quotes for this oil in 500, 1000 or 2000 litres.

The Benefits of Kerosene Oil for Your Home or Business

Depending on the economic climate, oil heating can be cheap or expensive. The price fluctuates heavily, much in the same way petrol or diesel for your car can. There will be years when you find your heating costs are much lower than expected, and years when you’ll be surprised at the price hike. Fortunately, there are price comparison sites around where you can choose the best price, with the most convenient delivery time.

As you pay in advance for your kerosene oil, you’re never in debt to the utility company and you can keep a closer eye on consumption.

If you choose an oil boiler, you can also benefit from an oil fired AGA, (budget permitting), this is a must have appliance for many homeowners. The AGA or Range can manage your whole heating and hot water system, and you don’t have to have the AGA turned on for it to do so. It operates much in the same way any boiler would, with options to heat the water alone, to heat the radiators and the hot water together, or options to turn the range on.

The Disadvantages to Choosing Oil

As mentioned, the price of oil can vary dramatically, which can be an advantage or disadvantage. In addition to this, you will need space outside to store your oil. If your property is already running on an oil fuelled boiler, there will probably be a green tank nearby. This should have a capacity that’s inline with your property size.

Running out of oil is not recommended, as this can lead to air in the pipes and silt in the tank. It’s always a good idea to order oil at least a few weeks before you think you’re about to run out, as delays can happen with deliveries, especially in adverse weather conditions.

Expense

You can choose from an oil combi boiler or an oil heating boiler, much the same as you would with gas or LPG. The initial layout maybe higher, but the cost of maintenance is the same. It can be tricky to find a plumber that deals with oil boilers, as they’re not too commonplace. They can also be in high demand. As they don’t need to be Corgi registered to operate an oil boiler, or to fix one, make sure you read reviews and choose a trusted tradesman.

Overall choosing oil for your property has many advantages and disadvantages, much in the same way any utility does. However, if oil is your only choice in your area, there’s a good chance you live in a beautiful part of the world with stunning views and vistas.