Completely running out of heating oil can leave you without hot water or heating, this is especially inconvenient during winter when it’s needed the most. Running fully dry of heating oil is easily done by not keeping an eye on your fuel levels or from fuel theft. Read our top tips below on what to do if you experience a run out this winter.

1. Check You Have Fully Run Out

   This may seem the obvious thing to do however, many people believe their tank has run out when it is actually a problem with their fuel lines, boiler or tank. To check if you have completely run dry it is best practice to dip your tank.

2. Place an order asap

   During the winter months, it is important that you phone your heating oil supplier as soon as possible to avoid any delays. The increase in demand for heating oil and adverse weather conditions that a British winter can bring sometimes slows things down. It is also worth mentioning when placing your order that you have run out, this will allow your supplier to adjust their deliveries accordingly.

   At James D Bilsland Ltd we would like to assure all of our customers that we do everything possible to complete deliveries during adverse weather conditions. We advise during this time to keep our office up to date on conditions and keep all access points clear to avoid any further delays.

3. Restarting Your Boiler

   After a run out it is possible that you may require an engineer to restart your boiler. Most boilers are fitted with a safety mechanism which turns off the burner when there is no oil to combust. When you’re down to the last drops of oil, any sludge or dirt situated at the bottom of your tank may be pulled into the filters and fuel lines. If this is the case, you would have to phone an engineer to clean the fuel lines/filters and have our boiler restarted.

4. Check Your Oil Levels Regularly

   Checking fuel levels regularly in the future is essential to prevent you from running out of oil. You can check your tank by purchasing a fuel monitor such as the Apollo Sonic Watchman which allows you to monitor oil levels from your home. Alternatively, you can use a stick to dip the tank.

5. Consider ordering a 20-litre fuel box of kerosene

   Our 20-litre kerosene fuel boxes are great in the event of an emergency. If you have run out, our fuel boxes can top up your tank enough to see you through until your fuel delivery is made ensuring you don’t completely run out. You can pick up one of these from our main depot in Croftamie or order one with your next delivery of fuel.

If you have you have completely run out of heating oil, contact our office as soon as possible on 01360 660264 to place a delivery, if you mention that you have run out our team will adjust the deliveries accordingly to make sure you get your delivery quicker.