Oil is a popular way to heat the home in the United States. In fact, there are 5.3 million households that rely on heating oil or distillate heating oil as a heat source. Many people use oil delivery services to supply the oil that provides vital warmth in the winter. If you're new to heating oil or you're looking for a new delivery service, here are a few tips to help you get the best deals and the most convenient service.

Summer Fill-up

In the hot summer months, the last thing on most people's minds is heating their homes. However, this happens to be the best time to consider filling your oil tank. That's because the demand for oil is lowest in the summer, and that's often reflected in oil costs. For that reason, oil is typically cheapest between the months of April and September. If you own a large enough tank to hold a year's supply, consider filling it during that time frame. This isn't a foolproof method though, so make sure to compare costs before pulling the trigger.

Compare Fluctuating vs. Locked-in Pricing

Surprisingly, choosing a monthly delivery rather than delivery once a year may save you some money on delivery costs. Many oil suppliers offer monthly delivery options that give you a choice between locked-in pre-paid monthly pricing or fluctuating monthly pricing. If oil prices have been rising consistently, a locked-in pre-paid price with monthly delivery can be a good way to save money. But if you suspect that prices may fluctuate or fall, it might be better to go with pay by the month or will call payment. There's sometimes a third option too and that's price-capped monthly payments. This means that you'll never be charged more than the agreed-upon price for oil even if the market price is up. This option, however, often comes with a fee, but even with the fee, it may make sense if rising oil costs are making you nervous.

Keep An Eye On Levels

You should have your oil tank refilled any time it reaches one-quarter tank. This will leave you enough oil to get by until delivery without running out. Never let it get below this or you might end up without fuel. And if it runs out in the winter, you could very well end up waiting longer than expected for a delivery if the weather causes complications. Another reason to never let your tank get below this level is that any sediment in the tank or the oil will fall to the bottom, and you don't want that combusted into your home.

For more information about heating oil delivery, contact a local company.