Date: September 7, 2026
After an often-sweltering summer in the Greater Boston area, we are starting to see temperatures come down in the evenings. How far off is the crisp New England fall we all look forward to?
Of course, blustery, frigid weather will follow soon after, and the winters in our part of the country aren’t beloved in the same way fall is. But the good news for homeowners with oil-fired boilers or furnaces is that heating oil produces some of the most dependable and robust home heat possible.
And with these four tips, you can boost your heating equipment’s overall efficiency and use fewer gallons of fuel during the heating season.
Here’s a simple, inexpensive, and effective way to trim up to 10% off your heating-related energy usage: lower your thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day. You can do this without compromising comfort during your waking hours at home. With a programmable thermostat, these temperature shifts can happen automatically while you’re sleeping or away, making it effortless to save.
A Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat can find even more efficiency adjustments that can seamlessly save you money.
You can get almost 140,000 Btu of heat energy from one gallon of heating oil. That can do a lot to keep your rooms toasty and your family comfortable. But too many homes in our area lose a significant amount of this generated heat because of leaks in the house’s envelope. The warm air slips out, and cold outdoor air sneaks in.
There are some simple ways you can prevent air leaks throughout your home. Check for drafts around windows, wall seams, and doors, and seal them using:
Sealing your home’s envelope will dramatically assist your heating system in running more efficiently, plus make your rooms toastier on cold nights.
You can get some zero-cost heat from the sunlight through your windows by opening blinds and curtains on sunny afternoons to let in warmth, reducing your reliance on a furnace or boiler. Be sure to trim any shrubs or branches that may be blocking sunlight from reaching your home.
Also, make sure to close your blinds and curtains after sundown to help trap the warm air inside at night.
Bring in the top-rated HVAC service team from Cubby Oil & Energy once a year to perform routine heating maintenance. This service is integral to keeping your heating system running at its best efficiency, lowering your oil consumption. Following a proper maintenance schedule can also prevent four of the five most common service issues. Even better, it extends your equipment’s lifespan.
The Cubby Oil & Energy team is always available to help you improve your heating equipment’s efficiency, saving you money this winter and for many more to come. Get in touch with us today to schedule your annual heating maintenance with us.