How to Cut the Cost of Heating Your Home With Oil
By Advanced Oil Boiler Services · Published
With oil heating, what you pay depends on how and when you buy your oil as well as on how efficiently your home uses it. Both are worth working on.
You may see claims that you can cut your heating bills by a fixed percentage. We couldn't find an official source for a figure like that, so this guide sticks to what the Energy Saving Trust, Citizens Advice and OFTEC actually publish.
Buy your oil well
Citizens Advice's guidance for people who heat their homes with oil:
- Get at least three quotes, from suppliers who are members of the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA).
- Order when prices are usually cheaper, in the summer and early autumn.
- Order ahead. A delivery in a few weeks is usually cheaper than an urgent one.
- Check for extra fees or service charges before you order.
- Consider an oil club, where households in an area buy at the same time. Your local council may know of one, and if there isn't one you can set one up.
Don't run low
UKIFDA, the trade association for fuel distributors, recommends keeping at least 500 litres of heating oil in your tank where possible, to reduce the risk of running low during busy periods, bad weather or delivery delays. Running out means waiting for a delivery, and urgent deliveries usually cost more.
Use your heating controls
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that installing and using heating controls effectively could save around £100 a year in Great Britain. It also estimates that turning your thermostat down by one degree, from 22°C to 21°C, could save around £120 a year in Great Britain. These are its average estimates, based on its own assumptions about the home and energy prices, not a figure for your house. Keep your home warm enough to stay comfortable and healthy.
Keep the boiler efficient
OFTEC recommends annual servicing to maximise your boiler's efficiency. We couldn't find an official figure for how much a service saves, so we won't give one. What a service does is keep the boiler running as it should, and a yearly service is often a condition of the manufacturer's guarantee.
When an old boiler is the problem
Grant, one of the main oil boiler manufacturers, says older oil boilers can run at efficiencies as low as 65%. Under the building regulations in England, a new regular oil boiler must reach at least 91%. If your boiler is old, a replacement may cost less to run, and a survey will tell you what your home needs.
Cut the heat your home loses
Whatever fuel you use, less heat escaping means less fuel burnt. The Energy Saving Trust publishes practical guides to draught-proofing and loft insulation.
OFTEC registered engineers across Watford, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.
Related advice
Sources
Checked 8 October 2026.
- Citizens Advice: get help if you use oil, LPG, coal or wood to heat your home
- OFTEC: heating oil costs, where to get help
- Energy Saving Trust: heating controls (last updated 28 September 2026)
- Grant UK: condensing oil boilers and efficiency
- Approved Document L, Volume 1 (2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments)
- Energy Saving Trust: draught-proofing
- Energy Saving Trust: roof and loft insulation