What is Heating Oil?

Heating oil is one of the most popular forms of heating for homes that do not have access to the main gas grid. As such, it is usually used in properties that are located in rural or remote areas, where other forms of heating are not readily available.

Instead of being delivered through pipes, heating oil is delivered by an oil supplier and stored in a heating oil tank, which is usually located outside. It tends to be relatively inexpensive compared to other alternative fuel sources (e.g. LPG or electricity), which makes it a popular choice among many families in the UK.

Heating Oil Information Fact Sheet:

Around 1.5 million homes in the UK use heating oil.

Heating oil is also known as 'BoilerJuice'

It is widely used to heat homes, as well as to power farming equipment, construction vehicles and even jet-engined aircrafts.

Domestic heating oil has been in production since 1846.

Before heating oil was discovered, whale oil was often used to heat homes!

Types of Heating Oil

There are three main types of heating oil available:

Kerosene

This is the most popular form of heating oil for home use. In fact, most modern oil-fired boilers are designed to run on Kerosene, as it tends to cost less and burn more efficiently than Gas Oil.

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Premium Kerosene

Kerosene boilers also run on Premium Kerosene. Similar to standard Kerosene, this fuel is treated with special additives which help to break down deposits in your tank, for a cleaner, more efficient system.

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Gas Oil (Red Diesel)

Some older boilers run on Gas Oil, however, it is most commonly used for business purposes such as powering agricultural or construction equipment.

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Which Heating Oil?

Using the wrong type of heating oil in your system could damage your boiler, so it's important to find out which kind you need before you order. Luckily, there are several easy ways to do this:

Check previous delivery notes.
See if your tank has a label on the side of it.
Ask the previous owner or landlord.
Look at the sight gauge on the side of your tank or check inside the tank itself (Kerosene is a light yellow colour, while Gas Oil is reddy-pink).

If you're not sure which type of oil you need, call our Customer Services team on 01480 775454.

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