How long does 1000L of oil last for you?

By John Swindells 18 Feb 2011 | Comment

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1000L is a lot of heating oil, right? So how long do you make it last? Let everyone know by completing the "Buying Oil" survey on the right.

Here's what other people have already said:

6 months
4 months
3 months
12 months
5 months
9 months
1 year
8 months
10 months
2 months
Six months
7 months
One year
2 years
4 months in winter
10 weeks
3 months in winter
One month
3-4 months
8 weeks
3-6 months
ABOUT 8 MONTHS
6-8 months
16 weeks
A year
3months
Two months
3 to 4 months
Nine months
5 months in Winter
Not sure
11 months
18 months
Not long enough
6 to 8 months
3/4 months
Don't know
1 yr
3 months in the winter
4-6 months
About a year
2 months in the winter
4-5 months
2 months in winter
Varies
2.5 months
~6 months
100 days
6-7 months
6 weeks
Depends on the weather
13 months
1 month
Six months approx
Most of the year
Approx 6 months
15 months
8 month
Four months
12 weeks
4 month
About 1 year
4-5 weeks last december
3 to 4 months in the winter,I also have 2 wood Burners, & 8 to 9 months the rest of the year
3 to 4 months if i am lucky
5 months from May to November
5 MONTHS NOVEMBER TO MAY!
At the current prices 6 months, purchased a wood burning AGA and a wood burner for the Drawing Room plus a propane cooking range. Previously 2 months
Generally 2 deliveries a year of 1000 litres does it. One in April, one in December
4 month remainder of year
2 months winter
9 to 10 months
Around 2 months
Two years
12-18 months
Depends on weather. 100 to 120 litres per week in the cold spell..
2 months in winter, much longer in other times of year.
Just under one year
We got through 1000 Litres in 6.5 weeks but believe our tank has been leaking. We are now monitoring consumption even more closely - we were caught out by a faulty gauge which suggested we had a lot of oil in the tank when it ran dry.
Normally 10 months but have used 500 litres in the last 10 weeks and its used just 2 hrs in the mornings and 5 hrs in the evening when home!
Depends on the season. two to three months in winter, six to eight months in summer. thermostats never above 17 degrees max.
12-16 weeks
20 weeks
Seems to have only lasted less than 3 months, even by being very careful
During this winter not too long, but am collecting prices BUT the important thing is the deliverey must be made in 4 wheel base lorry
Around 4 months in the winter and around 7 months in Spring / Summer
4-6 weeks
5-6 months
A whole winter - used mainly for heating, a bit on kitchen tap
6-9 months depending on time of year bought
I do not know
3 months in winter; usually 8 months or so in summer
Haven't the facility to store 1000L. 700L is the largest amount I can store.
It lasted me 5 weeks from early/mid jan to mid february. I have not bought any since i ran out as coal and wood is proving more cost effective.
Depending, in winter, 2-3 months; outside winter, 6 months
About 6 months.
Usually, it would have gone long ago (i.e. 2-3 months in winter). Now I am mostly burning wood to heat the house, and ekeing out the oil left in the tank to heat water only. Trying to make it last until (say) April. I refuse to fall prey to profiteering!
8 months? not sure
Approx 5 months
About 7 months
About 3 -4months in winter time like this year .we have had 1,300 liters since november , this will last us till end of march
About 2 months
Approx 5-6 months
5 month
2-3 months
Dont know yet
6 to 7 months
4 months winter 6 months spring and summer
Two to three months
4 months winter, 7 months summer
Base load heating just hot tap water we use 250 litres a month year round - cold winter months we use another 200 litres a month. The detailed analysis surprised me as I would expect the central heating to be much the greater consumption
3mths
It lasts about 8 months on average
I have a small 900 litre tank which could last me, in theory, 6 to 8 months in summer time or 4 months in winter - it also heats water for domestic use - showers, baths, sinks etc, in a 4 bed house, two (sometimes) three people.
Bad winter: 3 months
More than a year
On average, until we had a new boiler (the old one was over 25 years old), 1000L lasted about 6 months. Hopefully, with the new boiler, a lot longer!
Depends on the weather, and how cold my wife thinks she is!
Approximately 4 months
9 to 12 months
I had 900l on christmas eve and had to put in another 1000l 6 weeks later. I am still using this as the weather is now milder.
3 months using timed heating & water heating of 8 - 10 hours per day
Winter - 3 months
Summer - 9 months
2 - 5 months dependant on weather
Between 6 and 8 months depending on the season
1st time bought 1000 litres
It's lasted 6 months this time but I also have 2 wood burners as well, which I've had 3 loads of logs @ £50/load
1 second
10 month
18 month
Approx 5 to 6 months
Between 3-4 months depending on weather and temperature
6 months in summer
Roughly a year, just for occasional heating & heating water
5 months but in winter we have to fill other oil tank which is another 2000 litres and that lasts the winter
1 month in winter; more in summer.
Don't know , but 1800 lasts a whole year
3 months in heating season
10 to 14 weeks depending on the weather
7/8 months
In the winter - 2 months. Summer months 500L.
6 to 8 months in summer, 3 to 4 months in the winter
Neeed to last the winter as we cannot afford to use any more than that
Approxamate 1 year
It varies from 6 weeks in the winter to about 4 months in the summer
3-4 weeks in winter
Approx 1 year
3-5 months
7 months in Summer
Depends on the weather!
Couple of months
If we use the central heating it will last between 4-6 weeks; otherwise around 3 months.
Seven months
12 month
4 months average
6 weeks in the winter
Winter: 3 months. Summer: 5-6 months
About 6 months averaged over a year
2 months in winter / 4 in summer
Approx 5 weeks
6 winter months
DURING WINTER PERIOD ABOUT 5 MONTHS
2 -3 months between October - March. Minimal cosumption March - October may be 100L only during this period
Appx. 45 winter months
9 months approx
6 months?
Just under a year
Approx 6months
I last bought oil (2000L) june 2009, I own a 4/5 bed detached house, of which I have upgraded the insulation. I still have approx 100 gal at 28/7/2011, but am looking to buy oil.
9 months to 1 year
Six weeks in the winter time
11 weeks annual average, winter probably 7 weeks, summer 18/19 weeks
6 - 9 months
Summer: 3 months
11 to 14 months
Four months in summer or maybe longer
8/10 weeks in winter
3 months in winter, much longer in the summer
2 month in height of winter. 6 month summer
4/6 weeks
7-8 months
On average 3-4 months
Winter months if used carefully
Depends on how cold it is
8-9 months
7-8 months depending on the weather
Most of year
Depends on time of year
3 to 6 months
20 months
Winter
6months summer, 2months winter
About 8 months, we tend to have 3000lts over 2years
2 months - 3 months
January 2011 order has lasted until end September
Depends on the time of year
45 DAYS
Summer 8 months, Winter 2 months
Depends on when - in winter 2 months
5 weeks
Approx. 13mths
12 months approx
22 months winter time
Depends what time of year it is; could be 2 or 3 months
it swee
Never bought that much
Last bought a 1000lt august 2010
10 months roughly
We make it last about 5 months, Nov - April
Depends, but if averaged out, about six months
At least a year
Third of a year
3 months if i am lucky
New property - change to occupancy - dont know
Not sure this year! Depends on the weather; I need to get some logs as well for 2 wood burners
No, I want to know how much 500L will be
Not long enough!
New user
1yr
In winter 3 months
8 months heating water and rad
11 to 12 weeks in winter
About 4 months
Five months in the winter
A little while
About 10 weeks
One year if we are careful
1000L = 3months
5-7 weeks
7 weeks
15 to 20 weeks weather dependant
12mths
Around 3 months
9/10 months
In winter, 6 weeks
About 8/9 months
~1year
In winter it lasts for 4 weeks
Never used it before
Roughly a year
9 to 10 mnths depending how cold it gets. I use my oil for hot water all year round; still cheaper than Electric.
4 months in the winter.
10 - 12 months
About 5 months
5 to 6 months
About 7-8 months
?
3 - 4 months
Nearly a season
ABOUT 11 MONTH
Approx 100 days on average (much more winter, much less summer)
Depends on time of the year....3-4months if not too cold
4 months in cold weather
Summer - 10 months; Winter - 3-4 months
Over 18 months
About 9 months
In winter about 4 months
Winter 2 months, Summer 6 months
I try and make it last for 1 year
Approx 3 months in winter
Not sure depends on weather
Year or so
4/5 months summer
Depends if its winter or summer!!!
Normally 6 months, but 12 months in 2011 2012
18 to 24 months
~8 months
App 3 mnths
14 months
3 - 4 months depending of time of year
You what! I've never been able to afford 1000L
Three to four months, sometimes longer.
Depends on weather
Just under 3 months approx
Approx 5months
3 months - I'm 93
4 months in extreme cold
Around 6 months in normal weather; now its only lasting 4 months
4 winter months
Approx. 4-5 weeks
Do not know yet - just moved
About 6 to 8 months
2 months max
About 6 months
Approx 1year
Approx. 12 months
One winter
No idea, just moved in!
1 yr plus
Depends how cold it is: last year was about a year; year before was about 9 months
This last 1000L has lasted 10 months
The winter months
On average 4 months
Half the year
4 to 5 months in the winter
About 9 months but only 6 months if november to april
Six weeks
120 days
Dependant on weather
Since having new boiler, at least 6 - 8 months.

8 Comments

by Dave. on 26 October 2022

Pointless post. Surely how many radiators bathrooms bedrooms etc. 3 bed detached bungalow or 6 bedroom stone built cottage?

by Jean Wallace on 04 November 2016

14 rooms at mine some bigger than others 1800 square feet under floor heating in the conservatory a new condensed boiler fitted. Use the oil for water and heating. 2 teenagers and 5 adults living here, oil lasts from 2 months to 4 months depending on weather. Will keep you posted as the new condensed boiler just been fitted and might make a change change in consumption.

by John Swindells on 06 November 2016

That sounds like a high workload! How much oil do you need to purchase each time?

by Victoria Elliott on 15 March 2011

1000 litres lasts us 2 months.

by John on 22 February 2011

Chris Pomfret - Results of trying to get to your website, via Mozilla?

"Your search - www.oilbuying.co.uk - did not match any documents."

Via IE8 it worked fine!

Simon - I live in the middle of East Anglia, we have a main gas distribution pipe running through the village but we have no gas supply because the operators of the supply pipe won't build a station to reduce the main pressure down to domestic pressure!

by John Swindells on 22 February 2011

That's frustrating! It's like living close to a railway line, but the nearest station is miles down the track.

by john knight on 22 February 2011

Local buying group.

In last 12 months the average member has bought 1460 litres. This is based on total sales of 195000 litres, 131members and 650 litres per drop.

I would estimate that we cater for any property ranging from 2 bed semi bungalows to fairly large detached houses of up to 5 bedrooms.

by Paul on 18 February 2011

Our House

---------

A B&B, located in a steep-sided valley in central Scotland, no south facing windows and very little solar gain. Main house and attached cottage, 8 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, 2 sitting rooms, 6 bathrooms and a conservatory. Solid stone walls with good outer blocks but rubble in-fill. Dormers built into roof space of much of house and therefore little scope for loft insulation.

Occupancy

---------

We and our long-term guest in the main house are in all day most of the winter.

Annual Consumption

-----------

a) When radiators first fitted to entire house in 2004, 10,500 litres!

Allowing for the unusual cold over the last 12 months , without remedial measures, we estimate this would have been 12,000 litres and we still would have been cold.

b) Consumption over last 12 months: around 6000 litres

Note that the cottage has doubled in size and is heated far more effectively than in 2004 so the reduction in oil consumption for a like-for-like comparison would probably be nearer to 60% than 50%.

Outstanding Problem

-------------------

Temperature inside the house and cottage in particular plummets over night from 21C at 10pm to 15C at 6pm with an outside temperature of 3C.

This is despite the cottage being modernised to conform to Building Control regulations, having masses of loft insulation and Kingspan on interior all outside walls.

Measures already taken

----------------------

* High-efficiency condensing boiler installed

* House divided into several heating zones each with separate programmer

* All radiators fitted with TRVs

* Full double glazed

* All accessible loft space well insulated

* Specialised heat recovery extractor fan installed in kitchen

* External walls of cottage, 2 bedrooms and office all lined with Kingspan

* Large cracks on one external wall filled with lime mortar

* All external doors and windows draught proofed

* Tree and large shrub to south-east removed to give allow more sun-light to reach house

Planned Measures

----------------

a) We've been waiting months for a plumber to install an optimiser for our boiler which will monitor internal and external temperatures, the temperature of the return flow etc in order to maximise the time the boiler is in condensing mode and optimise the temperature to which the water is heated.

b) Considering external insulation to side and rear of property. Will not compromise the appearance of the front of the property and the gable ends and would not be allowed to since we're in a National Park.

c) Wood-burning stove. Whenever I have considered it, I've concluded that spending the capital on WELL-TARGETED insulation is better for the environment, involves less work, operates 365 days, 24 by 7 and yields a far better return on investment.

Does anyone know how we can get any help, advice etc ? (No double glazing, cavity wall insulation or loft insulation sales people need apply! Ground

heat pump probably impractical because of rocky substrata and we need much more than background heat!)

by Chris Pomfret on 19 February 2011

Paul - it is people like you that give the lathargic and apathetic a bad name and the deserved title of errr...well...lathargic and apathetic. YOU are now on a list of personal heros. Well done John for asking the question. All those who read this and think they just can't be bothered pay the heating bills they deserve! BUT unfortunately they burn the emissions that we none of us can afford...but talking of afford, whilst you design the need for OIL out of your life (hopefully and eventually) PLEASE come and buy your OIL with us because if we can't save you at least ?300 a year (and hopefully LOTS more) on 6000 litres, that you can spend further reinforcing your frontiers, then you can call me a dutchman.

chris@oilbuying.co.uk

by Paul on 19 February 2011

Chris,

Firstly, my reference to the temperature plummeting was about what happens overnight and so "6pm" should have read "6am".

Secondly, whilst I'm in complete sympathy with what you're doing with oilbuying.co.uk we'll probably stay loyal to a local supplier who has provided a consistently good service over the years at competitive prices. In particular, during the very harsh weather they went the extra mile in appalling conditions to make deliveries to loyal customers and did not inflate the price to the extent which other suppliers did; at the time when we were reading about people being asked to pay over 90p per litre and not getting a delivery until January, we received oil within 4 days of placing an order.

A nearby hotel who switched suppliers every delivery was unable to obtain oil, suffered burst pipes on three floors, had to cancel bookings for Christmas and Hogmanay and will not reopen until April. Given that we can get through 1000 litres in a little over 4 weeks and only have a 1200 litre tank, we are inclined to stay with a supplier who has provided us with a good service - normally next working day delivery.

Please don't misunderstand me, if a tank of heating oil lasted us 3 months or more in the winter, then we'd be much more inclined to use your service since we'd always be able to order oil well in advance of us requiring it and would be less dependent on the excellent service we currently receive. However, cost aside, we also feel that we should express gratitude to our local supplier by continuing to patronise them.

BTW our most recent order was priced at 55.4p ex VAT.

by Chris Pomfret on 18 February 2011

Were you just bored John?

Some of my members actually do eek out 500 litres for nearly a year! Some order so much you might question if they wash in it!

But I guess if you live in a house that is 300 years old and has a river running under it the chances are it is pretty difficult to heat.

However, surely the really important issues should be:

1. can we educate OIL users to use less - because there are many techniques

2. can we save them a ton of money on their heating OIL so that they can spend the savings on installing an alternative, renewable energy source?

Questions, questions...we have some answers chris@oilbuying.co.uk

by John Swindells on 18 February 2011

That's exactly it - see how little oil some people use, so that more people think "I should be using less!"

by Simon on 18 February 2011

Oil when I 1st had an oil boiler fitted the price per litre was 7 pence ! now it seems everyone just wants to rip you off i paid 57 pence per litre last time i filled up.I have no choice as i live near a power station so no gas avaliable.

I some time hate rip of britain !!

by Chris Pomfret on 18 February 2011

You may have little choice about the type of energy you use, buit you sure as hell have a choice how you buy it! Rip off Britain indeed! Come and join the people's movement and buy your OIL with a group...NEVER buy OIL on your own again... www.oilbuying.co.uk

The power is with the group...over to you

Chris

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How long does 1000L of oil last for you?

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