Let’s face it: everyone who drives a vehicle in the United States knows that fuel oil costs aren’t cheap. And almost everyone needs oil, whether heating a home or driving a car. In 2013 alone, the use of domestic oil in the United States rose by approximately 400,000 barrels a day — a daily usage of about 18.9 million barrels. And while fuel oil costs have dropped by over $1 from the highest amount in 2014, many individuals still feel their wallets sucked dry.
While you can’t change recent oil prices or the cost of heating with oil, you can change where you obtain your oil from; helping to save you whatever you can. Read on for tips and tricks to help keep your gas and home heating costs at the lowest possible!
How to Use Oil Without Using Up Your Whole Bank Account:
- More than 93% of all vehicles run on some form of gasoline. So while purchasing gas is a necessity to keep your form of transportation going, you can be smart about where you go to get gas. If you have a smartphone, check your app store for a variety of money-saving gasoline apps that show the cheapest gasoline prices in your area. It may be a few cents, but that’s a few cents you get to save.
- Another good way to get cheaper gasoline is to drive up to a Native American reservation where gas prices are notably cheaper than off the reservation. The only con to that is that depending on where you live, you may have to use a lot of gas to get to the reservation.
- Another simple trick to save on gasoline is to carpool! If you and your friends are all going out to dinner, suggest having one person drive instead of all meeting there. You can all take turns and save money on gas. Everyone wins!
- When it comes to heating your home with oil, it’s a little trickier to find ways to save. It can be done, however. The first major step is to look at your fuel company and see just exactly how much you’re being charged a month. If you feel like it’s excessive, it may be time to switch to a different company.
- Ask friends and family for recommendations for an affordable fuel company — or ones to stay away from. If you don’t feel comfortable discussing finances with them, however, you can always search online for different fuel companies to compare prices and read reviews written by actual customers.
How do you save on fuel oil costs? Tell us about it in the comments below!
