Free heating oil tool · Updated 5 August 2026
With 220 litres left and winter use of about 18 litres a day, you have roughly 12 days of oil. Allowing 7 days delivery and a 3 day buffer, your latest safe order date is only 2 days away. Miss it and an emergency top up can add £40 to £75.
For reference, today's UK average is 92.5p per litre, surveyed on 5 August 2026. Enter your own details below.
Say your gauge shows about 220 litres left in early winter, and the house burns roughly 18 litres a day for heating and hot water. Dividing 220 by 18 leaves about 12 days of oil before the tank runs dry.
A standard delivery takes about 7 days, and we add a 3 day buffer for slippage, so your latest safe order date is 10 days before run-out. With only 12 days of oil, that is just 2 days away. The comfortable window, two weeks earlier again, has already passed, so this household should order today rather than risk a priority slot.
Miss the safe date and a 500 litre emergency delivery typically adds £40 to £75, at 8p to 15p per litre over a standard delivery. During the March 2026 shortage, when tankers could not keep up, some households paid £150 to £350 more to reorder elsewhere. The buffer exists for exactly that.
| Stage | Days before run-out | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Order comfortably | 24 days | Best prices, full choice of supplier |
| Last safe order date | 10 days | Standard delivery still fits with a buffer |
| Emergency territory | 7 days | Priority slot likely, premium applies |
| Run dry | 0 days | Boiler lockout risk, callout likely |
Lead time defaults to 7 days from our supplier survey. Enter your own supplier's quoted lead time to shift every stage.
days_left = oil_now / daily_use
runout_date = today + days_left
last_safe_date = runout_date - lead_days - safety_buffer
lead_days = 7 days (verified 2026-07-28)
safety_buffer = 3 days (verified 2026-07-28)
comfortable = last_safe_date - 14 days
emergency_from = runout_date - lead_days
emergency_premium = order_litres * premium_ppl / 100
premium = 8p to 15p per litre (verified 2026-07-28)
Worked example: 220L at 18L/day = 12 days left;
latest safe order is 10 days before run-out. | Figure | Value | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| lead days default | 7 days | Compare My Heating Oil supplier survey, median standard delivery lead time, July 2026 | 2026-07-28 |
| safety buffer days | 3 days | Compare My Heating Oil editorial policy, order-by safety margin | 2026-07-28 |
| comfortable order window days | 14 days | Compare My Heating Oil editorial policy, comfortable ordering window ahead of the last safe date | 2026-07-28 |
| emergency premium low ppl | 8 p/L | Compare My Heating Oil supplier survey, emergency vs standard delivery premium, July 2026 | 2026-07-28 |
| emergency premium high ppl | 15 p/L | Compare My Heating Oil supplier survey, emergency vs standard delivery premium, July 2026 | 2026-07-28 |
Winter demand stretches lead times. In a cold snap every household orders at once and tankers cannot keep up. The 7 day default can double, which is precisely when the safety buffer earns its place. Order earlier in the season and you sidestep the queue.
Your daily usage is not constant. A mild week can double your remaining days, and a hard frost can halve them. Treat the run-out date as a moving estimate and check your gauge weekly through winter rather than trusting a single reading.
Location changes everything. Islands, single track roads and remote glens carry longer lead times year round. If your supplier quotes more than 7 days, use their figure so the plan reflects your reality, not an average.
The emergency premium is real money. At 8p to 15p per litre over a standard delivery, a rushed order costs meaningfully more, and in a genuine shortage the gap widens. Planning to the last safe date is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Do not wait for the amber date. Compare local suppliers now and order while you still have the pick of prices.
Compare prices nowWhen will my oil run out?
Project your run-out date day by day
Should I order now or wait?
Time your order against the trend
Compare two oil quotes
True pence per litre once you order
Avoiding emergency deliveries
Plan ahead and cut your fuel bills
How to buy heating oil
Timing, suppliers and how to save