How Does My Oil Company Know When I Need More Oil? K-Factor and Degree Days Explained

How Does My Oil Company Know When I Need More Oil? K-Factor and Degree Days Explained  

One of the most common questions oil delivery customers ask is: *How does my oil company know when I need a refill?* You might imagine trucks driving around, peeking into tanks—but the process is much more sophisticated, and it involves some clever math and data science. The secret lies in two key concepts: K-Factor and Degree Days.  

What is K-Factor?

K-Factor is a number that represents how efficiently your home uses oil. It’s calculated by measuring how much oil you’ve used and how long it lasted, then factoring in the weather conditions during that time. The formula looks something like this:  

Here’s what it means:

• A higher K-Factor indicates your home uses oil more slowly (good insulation or mild weather).  
• A lower K-Factor means oil is being used more quickly (poor insulation, older systems, or cold snaps).  

Every home’s K-Factor is unique, and oil companies track it to predict when you’ll need a refill.  

What are Degree Days?

Degree Days are a way to measure how cold it’s been, and thus how much heating your home might need. The colder it is, the more Degree Days are recorded. Specifically:  

• A Degree Day is calculated by subtracting the average daily temperature from 65°F.  
• For example, if the average temperature is 40°F, that’s 25 Degree Days (65 – 40 = 25).  

Oil companies track Degree Days over time to understand heating demand patterns in your area.  

How Do They Work Together?

By combining your home’s K-Factor with the Degree Days in your area, oil companies can predict when your tank will reach a critical level. For instance:  

• If your K-Factor is 6 and there have been 300 Degree Days, they know you’ve likely used about 50 gallons of oil (300 ÷ 6 = 50).  
• From there, they estimate how much is left in your tank and schedule deliveries before you run out.  

Benefits of This System  

• No More Guesswork: You don’t have to keep checking your tank or worry about running out of oil on a freezing night.  

• Efficiency: Delivery routes are optimized, reducing costs and environmental impact.  

• Peace of Mind: Predictive scheduling ensures your home stays warm, no matter the weather.  

Can You Improve Your K-Factor?  

Yes! Homes with better insulation, updated heating systems, and efficient windows tend to have higher K-Factors. Investing in these upgrades not only saves on oil but also reduces your energy bills and carbon footprint.  

Stay Warm, Worry-Free

The combination of K-Factor and Degree Days is a proven, reliable system that keeps your home comfortable without you having to lift a finger. At Atlantic Fuels, we use this data to ensure your tank is never empty, so you can focus on staying cozy and enjoying the winter.  

Want to know more about how we handle automatic deliveries? Contact us at Atlantic Fuels  to learn how we keep your home warm all season long!

Atlantic Fuels offers residential and light commercial oil, propane, and natural gas heating system and equipment repair & maintenance services throughout New Hampshire’s Seacoast Region – 24/7/365. Give us a call at (603) 964-6967 or send us an email today!