What Is the Best Month to Buy Heating Oil?
Find Out Why Summer Fill-ups Make Sense
When the area sees three heat waves before the middle of July, the last thing you are thinking about is heating oil. But that’s one of the reasons that the summer months are the smartest time to fill up your tank with a heating oil delivery.
It comes down to basic supply and demand. As the mercury rises, demand for heating oil falls—and the prices come down. As the calendar moves toward fall and winter, and temperatures begin to fall, demand goes up—and prices follow.
Of course, there are other factors that affect the price of heating oil, such as geopolitics or events that put pressure on the supply chain, such as a major hurricane that damages refineries. While some things are impossible to anticipate, you can be pretty confident that in general, heating oil prices will be much lower in the spring and early summer. That makes it a great time to buy heating oil.
But there are some other benefits besides price.
Protect Your Tank
Modern heating oil tanks are built to last, but they’ll last even longer if you take care of them. Keeping your fuel tank full over the summer is an easy way to extend its life.
When your heating oil tank sits empty, condensation can form—and that can result in all kinds of problems. For starters, when condensation forms on the interior walls of an empty tank, that water drips down and sinks to the bottom of the tank (because water is denser than heating oil). That water becomes an ideal environment for bacteria and other microorganisms. Over time, the bacteria forms sediment or sludge, which can get into your fuel lines and clog them up. This will cause your heating system to shut down, probably next winter, right in the middle of a deep freeze. Sludge can also corrode your tank from the inside out—a big problem that is difficult to detect early and costly to remediate.
Because your tank doesn’t stay empty in the winter, condensation and the problems it leads to are less of an issue. Plus, condensation is less likely to form in colder temps. But in summer, especially if your tank is outside, condensation will form quickly. Of course, if you’re signed up for automatic deliveries, we’ll make sure you’re topped off for the summer.
Hot Water
If your water heater runs on heating oil, you’ll need to have some oil in your tank to make sure you have hot water. The largest use of hot water in the summer months is for showers, but your dishwasher needs hot water to get your dishes clean too. If you wash your dishes by hand, you will certainly want some hot water—cold water doesn’t do the job on greasy, dirty pots and pans. You may also want hot water for doing at least some of your laundry. Of course you won’t need much—typically about a gallon a day—so you’ll still have a pretty full tank come that first nippy night in the fall.
Hassle-Free Fall
If you fill up your heating oil tank now, you’ll be golden come fall, when everyone else is calling for a convenient heating oil delivery appointment. You’ll also be ready for an early cold snap. While you’re at it, summer is the perfect time to schedule your heating system tune-up—or to update or upgrade your equipment, if it’s reached the end of its life and breakdowns are too common.
Ready for a fill-up? Whether you need a heating oil delivery, a tune-up or a new heating system, Bolkema has you covered. We’ve been providing reliable heating oil delivery to customers in northern New Jersey and lower New York State for nearly a century. Contact us today.