Written on: May 25, 2026
When temperatures drop, few things matter more than knowing your home will stay warm and comfortable. At Westmore Fuel, our delivery drivers work hard throughout the heating season to keep customers supplied with premium B20 Bioheat Plus® fuel. But avoiding a heating oil runout is a team effort.
A little preparation on your part can make deliveries smoother, help us serve you more efficiently, and reduce the chances of unexpectedly running low on heating oil during the coldest days of winter.
Here are some important ways to stay ahead of heating oil runouts this season.
Many homeowners enjoy the convenience of our free automatic delivery service, but some customers prefer to check their own tank and call when they need fuel. If you choose our will-call delivery service, timing is everything.
While we always do our best to respond quickly, especially during emergencies, it’s important to give us several days’ notice whenever possible. Advance notice allows us to efficiently schedule your home into a delivery route.
It’s also smart to plan even farther ahead during stretches of extremely cold weather or before major winter storms. Cold temperatures can cause your heating system to consume fuel faster than usual, and severe weather can affect delivery schedules across the region. This presented us with major challenges over this past winter.
One of the most common reasons homeowners experience runouts is waiting too long to place an order. As a general rule, contact us when your tank reaches the one-quarter mark. That gives you a comfortable cushion before your tank gets critically low.
Your oil tank gauge gives you a quick snapshot of how much fuel is still in your tank, but it only helps if you know what you’re looking at.
Most tank gauges are found on top of the tank inside a clear plastic or glass casing. The markings are similar to a car’s fuel gauge and typically display F, ¾, ½, and ¼. A floating red indicator shows the current fuel level.
If the float drops all the way to the bottom or disappears entirely, your tank may be nearly empty.
It’s also important to make sure the gauge itself is functioning properly. You can carefully remove the outer cover and gently press the float downward. If it rises back to its original position, the gauge is usually working correctly. If it sticks or does not move properly, contact Westmore Fuel so we can help address the issue.
Guessing how much oil is left in your tank is never a good strategy during winter!
There’s a reason most Westmore Fuel customers choose automatic delivery service. It removes the stress and guesswork of watching your tank during the heating season.
With automatic delivery, we use advanced tracking methods and weather data to estimate how much fuel your home is likely to use. Based on those calculations, we schedule deliveries before your tank runs too low, typically around the quarter-tank level.
Automatic delivery can be especially valuable during long cold spells when fuel usage increases rapidly. Instead of constantly checking your gauge or worrying about whether you remembered to schedule a delivery, you can focus on everything else that comes with managing a busy household.
Even the best delivery schedules occasionally need adjustments. Changes in your household or lifestyle can significantly affect how much heating oil your home uses.
For example, your fuel consumption may increase if:
Fuel usage can also decrease if you regularly use a supplemental heating source, such as a pellet stove or fireplace, during milder weather.
Keeping us informed about these changes helps us fine-tune your automatic delivery schedule and better predict your heating needs.
Westmore Fuel proudly delivers premium B20 Bioheat Plus® fuel to homeowners throughout New York and Connecticut. This cleaner-burning fuel combines 20% biodiesel with 80% ultra-low sulfur heating oil to provide efficient, environmentally responsible home heating.
Bioheat Plus fuel burns cleaner than traditional heating oil and can help reduce emissions while supporting reliable heating system performance. Best of all, homeowners can start using it without making modifications to their existing heating equipment.
New York residential customers may also qualify for a 20-cent-per-gallon state tax credit on eligible Bioheat Plus fuel purchases through December 31, 2028. For households that use 1,000 gallons annually, that can add up to approximately $200 in savings.
Since 1938, Westmore Fuel has proudly helped families stay warm and comfortable throughout the heating season. With smart planning, dependable delivery service, and premium Bioheat Plus fuel, avoiding a heating oil runout can be simple and stress-free.