Does your home need heating oil in summer?

You do not need to take anything apart to start finding out. These checks can help you identify what heats your tap water, rather than just what heats your rooms.

1. Read a label you can see safely. Look for the fuel or energy source on the outside of the water heater or in its manual. Wording such as "oil-fired" or "fuel oil" points to oil; "electric", "gas" or "propane" describes a different energy source. Note the make and model if the wording is unclear. Do not remove a cover to find a label.
2. Check whether your boiler also makes hot water. A separate hot-water tank does not necessarily mean the water is heated independently. Look in the equipment paperwork for "indirect water heater" or "tankless coil", and ask which appliance supplies its heat. If your domestic hot water gets its heat from an oil-fired boiler, it still depends on oil even when the rooms do not need heating.
3. Ask for the home's records. A service invoice, equipment manual, or information from the previous owner or landlord may identify the hot-water system. Ask specifically, "Does heating oil supply our tap water, or only our space heating?" Having an oil tank alone does not answer that question.
4. Get confirmation before changing your ordering routine. If you are still unsure, share the make, model and a safely taken photo of the visible label with a qualified technician. Call Mercer Fuels to discuss your delivery arrangements while you confirm the system. Do not assume you can stop ordering oil simply because the thermostat is turned down.

Have heating equipment questions? Our team can talk with you about equipment options.

Mercer Fuels estimates about 3 litres of oil per day for a 1-2 person household using oil to heat water for showers, laundry and other everyday needs. For each additional person beyond two, add about 0.75 litres per day on average.

Actual use varies with hot-water habits and equipment. Use these figures for planning, not as a guaranteed consumption rate or a way to calculate how long the oil in your tank will last. Tell us about changes in your household so we can discuss delivery options for your situation.

If you place each order yourself, keep oil supply in mind through the warmer months. If you use automatic delivery, discuss changes with the office rather than assuming your delivery planning no longer needs to account for oil use.

You can place a routine heating oil order through routine online ordering or call the office. If you want help understanding delivery choices, ask about automatic delivery and how it would apply to your home.

Summer is not presented here as a guaranteed cheaper time to buy oil. For current pricing, call Mercer Fuels or ask about pricing. If you urgently need oil, explain the situation by phone at 902-539-4242; emergency delivery is subject to availability, route and weather.