Quick Answer
A typical UK 3-bedroom home on oil central heating uses about 1,500–2,000 litres of heating oil a year — roughly £1,050–£1,400 at 70p per litre. This heating oil usage calculator estimates your yearly litres and cost from your property size and insulation, or works out how many days the oil left in your tank will last from the current level and your average daily use.
How the Heating Oil Usage Calculator Works
This heating oil usage calculator has two modes. Yearly usage & cost estimates how much kerosene your home burns in a year and what it costs; How long will it last? tracks the oil left in your tank and predicts the run-out date. Both use published UK figures — the Energy Saving Trust puts a typical 3-bed home at 1,500–2,000 litres a year, and a litre of kerosene holds about 10.35 kWh of energy.
Tank: days left = litres in tank ÷ average daily use.
The tool’s yearly estimate starts from a base usage for your property size, then scales it by how well the home holds heat:
| Property size | Base usage (litres/year) |
|---|---|
| Small — 1–2 bed / flat | 1,100 |
| Medium — 3 bed (typical) | 1,800 |
| Large — 4 bed | 2,600 |
| Very large — 5+ bed / farmhouse | 3,400 |
| Insulation / EPC band | Factor |
|---|---|
| Well insulated (modern, EPC A–C) | × 0.80 |
| Average (EPC D–E) | × 1.00 |
| Poorly insulated (older, EPC F–G) | × 1.25 |
For the tank mode, average daily use drives how fast the tank empties. The season quick-fill drops in these typical figures, which you can then fine-tune:
| Season | Typical daily use |
|---|---|
| Winter (cold) | 18 litres/day |
| Spring / autumn | 9 litres/day |
| Summer (hot water only) | 4 litres/day |
How to Use the Heating Oil Usage Calculator
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Pick a mode
Tap Yearly usage & cost to plan a whole year, or How long will it last? to check the oil in your tank right now.
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Yearly mode: choose size and insulation
Select your property size and how well it is insulated (roughly by EPC band). The tool shows estimated litres a year plus annual, monthly and winter-month cost.
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Tank mode: enter capacity, level and daily use
Type your tank size and how much is in it — switch the level unit to % if you are reading a gauge as a fraction full. Pick a season to fill a typical daily use, or type your own litres/day.
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Set your oil price
The price defaults to 70p per litre (mid-2026). Change it to your latest quote — every cost figure updates instantly, and you can Share a link that reloads your inputs.
Heating Oil Usage & Cost: Worked Examples
Every figure below is exactly what the calculator prints at a price of 70p per litre — enter the same inputs to check.
Yearly usage & cost
| Home | Insulation | Litres/year | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small 1–2 bed | Average | 1,100 | £770 |
| 3-bed typical | Well insulated | 1,440 | £1,008 |
| 3-bed typical | Average | 1,800 | £1,260 |
| 3-bed typical | Poorly insulated | 2,250 | £1,575 |
| Large 4-bed | Average | 2,600 | £1,820 |
| 5+ bed / farmhouse | Average | 3,400 | £2,380 |
How long will the tank last?
| Tank & level | Daily use | Days left | Value of oil |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,200 L, 500 L (42%) | 18 L/day (winter) | ~28 days | £350 |
| 1,350 L, 540 L (40%) | 18 L/day (winter) | ~30 days | £378 |
| 2,500 L, 1,000 L (40%) | 9 L/day (spring) | ~111 days | £700 |
| 1,000 L, 240 L (24%) | 4 L/day (summer) | ~60 days | £168 |
How Long Will 1,000 Litres of Heating Oil Last?
It depends entirely on the weather and how hard the boiler is working. Using the calculator’s seasonal daily-use figures, a fresh 1,000-litre delivery lasts:
| Season | Daily use | 1,000 litres lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Deep winter | 18 L/day | ≈ 56 days (8 weeks) |
| Spring / autumn | 9 L/day | ≈ 111 days (16 weeks) |
| Summer (hot water only) | 4 L/day | ≈ 250 days (36 weeks) |
That is why heating oil suppliers say a 1,000-litre order should comfortably clear eight weeks of winter — if yours is emptying faster, the boiler, controls or insulation are worth a look.
